


Restart Together

by Chuckie_Finster_1211



Series: Restart Together [1]
Category: Charlie Countryman (2013)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asian-American Character, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Broken Families, Canon Related, Canon-Typical Violence, Death Threats, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Drug Dealing, Drunk Driving, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, No Smut, Original Character(s), Past Lives, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn, Threats of Violence, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-01-01 07:35:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 36,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18331538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chuckie_Finster_1211/pseuds/Chuckie_Finster_1211
Summary: Victor didn’t die. Things are complicated between Gabi and Nigel per usual. Charlie makes things worse when he arrives and drags his cousin, Vinh along for the ride.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine.
> 
> There aren't many OC fics with Nigel and if you've seen the movie (you totally should, it's a fun ride!) you would notice all the holes where someone like myself or yourself or someone you know could fill in the blanks or create their own content and it would fit in perfectly. I hope I did a good job with doing just that. 
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins...
> 
> Good luck to the poor Countryman's; bumping into Nigel, falling for Gabi, and placating his cousin Vinh's concerns is going to be a conflicting and bumping road for love sick Charlie. Let's see if he cares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This chapter has homophobic language**

The Bucharest humidity started to get to Vinh. She opened her balcony door, allowing air to circulate through the outside screen. She tied her hair up into a messy bun so it wasn’t constantly flying in her face while she cleaned and rearranged her apartment. Her little cousin, Charlie from Chicago, Illinois was moving in with her while he searched for his own place and a job to support himself. His mom, Kathryn mentioned Bucharest in her final conversation with him before she passed.

How he should come here because she always wanted to. Vinh hated she couldn’t be there after Aunt Katie got sick. Hopefully, looking after Charlie and getting him settled would ease some of Vinh’s guilt and help regain those sleepless nights. She still thought Aunt Katie meant Budapest, Hungary but there’s nothing to be done about it now. Vinh loved her Charlie but with funds as low as they were currently, paying for herself and his way wouldn’t last long. Right now, Vinh had to concentrate on not passing out in her own apartment.

Aunt Katie and Vinh’s dad, Jesse, were siblings. Growing up in an all-white, German, Polish and Jewish family full of fuzzy brown and curly haired redheads, Vinh was the odd one out with her brown skin, rich black lengthy hair and a short stature.

Even though Jesse adopted Vinh after he married her mother, Jia it still wasn’t enough. Not the same as blood. After Charlie was born, no one cared anymore. Besides Aunt Katie who called and visited them often, towing Charlie along with her, Vinh felt the stinging shame of an outcast; shunned by the people who were supposed to be family. So when Jesse announced he was being stationed in Annapolis, a place more equip for international and multicultural citizens after Vinh turned eight, Jia couldn’t pack up their house fast enough.

After Vinh took a breather with a glass of tepid faucet water, she started sweeping the guest bedroom for Charlie’s arrival. The night before, she stocked enough food to cook for the next two weeks.

“If Charlie wanted anything more he’d have to use his own money.” Vinh told herself.

His flight would arrive in three hours and Vinh wanted to get a head start on dinner if they wanted to go out and not waste money on food she already had. As she monitored the lasagna in the oven, Vinh checked her phone for the hundredth time for any sign from Charlie. His plane would be landing soon but they both agreed to wait until he touched down before Vinh picked him up. Around four o’clock, she had finally received a text from Charlie.

“How is he out front already?” Puzzled by Charlie’s speedy arrival, Vinh checked the time on the oven once more, and then closed the balcony door before she rushed down to meet Charlie.

“Holy crud, look who it is!” Vinh hollered out through the lobby doors before she let Charlie in. They gave each other a big hug before heading for the stairs.

“What’s wrong with the elevator?” Charlie frowned.

“Oh, nothing,” Vinh replied. “I just prefer the stairs, lazy bones.”

“You mean the elevator’s broken down?” Charlie joked.

“Yep,” Vinh laughed along. “It constantly breaks down since everyone uses it all the time and the building’s a bit dated too.” They kept the chatting to a minimum while hiking up three flights to Vinh’s floor. Honestly, Vinh didn’t even think to warn Charlie about the elevator since she had grown accustomed to the stairs anyway. Thankfully, he didn’t have loads of bags or a shit ton suitcase.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Charlie huffed for the second time once he and Vinh reached her floor. “I just met Victor on the plane, we got to talking and next thing I know I’m hitching a ride with him and his daughter, Gabi.” Charlie relayed that afternoon’s earlier events, explaining why he didn’t call her to pick him up from the airport when his plane initially landed. “They invited me to dinner at their place tonight. We should go.”

Vinh scoffed at Charlie’s train of thought. “Everything is always on a whim with you huh, Charlie? Just like Aunt Katie.” The ghost of a slight timid smile across Charlie’s face warned Vinh his mother remained a vulnerable button he wasn’t ready to be pushed yet.

_What did you think, dummy? Everyone’s mother is a sensitive subject._

Finally back in her apartment, Vinh helped Charlie get settled. “Okay, one last question.”

“Yes, I’m sure mom meant Bucharest and not Budapest. Yes, I’m sure about this move. And don’t worry before you even ask, no I won’t be staying with you long. Only until I find my own place after I find work.”

Vinh threw a thumbs up. “Great! Just making sure you’re good. Here’s a key to the apartment. Your room’s the first one on the right. The bathroom’s second to the left and the laundry room is on the opposite side of the stairwell. It’s a big circle you can’t miss it,” she explained. “And if you need to smoke, please do so on the balcony, away from my plants.” Vinh ended her spiel with a smile at Charlie and left him to unpack while she went to check on her lasagna she was now having for lunch and dinner tomorrow.

_Score one for Vinh!_

“Hey, Vinh what’s with all this dirt?” Charlie yelled from inside his room.

“Sorry, it’s from my plants, ” she answered from the kitchen. “I moved them out onto the balcony before you got here. Honestly, I thought I got it all.”

“Still with the plants, I see.” Charlie pointed out. Vinh had a strong green thumb growing up even in Chicago before her family moved to Annapolis. Got it from her midwife mom who insisted on growing whatever wasn’t meat in the yard. The plants made Vinh feel secure and reminded her of a simpler time in her life.

The place had two bedrooms, one full bath and small balcony overlooking the a local strip full of food shops, bars and at least three laundromats. It wasn’t far from the university where she worked with just enough space for her, a guest and her ever growing indoor—now an outdoor garden. In the living room sat a couch in the center of the compact space facing the wall where a television would be while two tall stools sat under the breakfast bar on the outer side of the kitchen. Her apartment building stood in North Bucharest not far from the route travelled by a bunch of college kids and young adults, mainly tourists looking for cheaper places to crash while visiting. Or a sobering walk of shame after a night of overindulgence and debauchery.

“What, no tv?” Charlie complained.

“Fuck off. If you get the money for one and want to pay for cable, be my guest.”

Maybe because her parents discouraged the ‘idiot box’ versus playing outside, television never did anything for Vinh growing up. Besides, if watching dvds or one of her many streaming services on her laptop didn’t do the trick, Vinh could always people-watch on her balcony after last call. It never got old.

“So, is there anything in particular you wanted to do or see on your first day tomorrow after I get off work, Charlie? There’s a boatload of museums and parks we could hit up. Maybe walk around for a bit to get a feel for the neighborhood,” Vinh suggested while tasting her lasagna to make sure it was up-to-par. “That’s what I did when I first moved here.”

“Victor mentioned the Opera House where he and Gabi work. He won’t be working the rest of the week from all the traveling. We can go there tomorrow,” he hinted. “Maybe drop in and say ‘hi’. Gabi won’t mind.”

Vinh rolled her eyes at her cousin’s lack of subtlety. If he wanted to see the girl why not just say that?

“Yeah, I hear the Opera House ispretty nice. From what I know the house band performs mainly on Thursdays through Saturday.” Vinh smiled to herself after what she’d just told Charlie. She gave it a minute for it to dawn on him. The next thing she knew, Vinh heard his tennis shoes squeak against the linoleum floor in the narrow hallway.

“Today’s Thursday.”

“No shit, Charlie,” Vinh said as she walked from the kitchen to meet Charlie. “And I’m guessing we’re pulling an all-nighter.”

“Oh, yeah.” Charlie smiled back.

Vinh didn’t get out much. Or at least out to places that would require fancy clothes like the opera. Although, she did have a few options when she was in a jam for something to wear like the forest green midi turtleneck bandage dress she bought on a whim. The dress complimented her sun kissed complexion, made her appear taller even without her heels on and was suitable for almost occasions; funerals and weddings aside. And definitely not work.

She did what she could with her long, thick hair; a ponytail would do. She planned on cutting it days ago but it was just another one of those things she never got around to doing. Charlie worked his messy, curly brown hair into a man-bun, put on his version of a suit and tie along with his every day rundown tennis shoes.

“Really, Charlie?” Vinh complained. “This is the outfit you’re wearing to impress a woman you like? You didn’t shave and your hair is trying to escape that loose ass band you put around it.”

“Shut up, Vinh. I’m jet lagged. I don’t know what I’m doing.” Charlie replied clearly tired.

“Oh, don’t give me that crap. I got dressed up for you and your little dinner date with this Gabi and her pops. Sleep on the car ride over.”

An hour and a half later, the House band finished playing their last song for the evening. Vinh had never been to the Opera House before and was mesmerized by the grand decor alone. This place was definitely fancier than anywhere she had ever been to before.

“Maybe this dress wasn’t appropriate after all.” She thought after spotting the obvious stares in her direction. Even in the dim lighting, Vinh could feel eyes on her. The unwanted attention made her skin itch. In Vinh’s opinion, the sooner they could meet up with Gabi and leave the better.

“Hey, look!” Charlie pointed out to Vinh. “There she is. Over there.” He described her as the woman with the red hair and dark and smokey eye makeup. She was dressed in black like the rest of the band but Charlie zoned in on her, allowing them to track her until they were stopped by a black door with an official ‘Employees Only’ sign.

“I spotted a bathroom right around this corner. I’ll be right back.” Vinh should’ve added in ‘don’t ditch me’ but she didn’t think she would need to with family. But with Charlie, she should have known better.

“No Charlie. Not fucking _was_ fucking _is_ , meaning til fucking death do us fucking part.” Vinh heard as soon as she rounded the corner back into the empty hall where she left Charlie.

“That better not be my Charlie.” But Vinh knew better. Of course, it was her Charlie who wandered off where he didn’t belong. The staff door didn’t have a window and Vinh refused to wait in the hall before someone legit came along and booted her out without Charlie. Through to the other side, Vinh tipped toed around until she finally caught sight Charlie’s curls peeking out into the hallway as an argument ensued between other people further inside.

“Psst, Psst,” Vinh called out for his attention. He nervously acknowledged her, reaching his arm out to keep her out of sight but it was too late.

“Who’s there, Charlie? Another one of those faggot tuba players?” A man barked out at Charlie on the other side of the wall where Vinh hid. Charlie stood up straighter and motioned for Vinh to step forward.

“Hi,” she waved sheepishly, “I don’t mean to interrupt. I just—” Vinh’s face dropped at the sight of him. She cursed the theater’s dim lighting and whimsical setting. Any other day, in any other place, Vinh would have known who these people were from a mile away. And stayed away. She knew who this angry man was and what he was—is capable of. They had to leave. Now.

“And what the fuck do you want?” Nigel snapped at Vinh. “You can’t be back here for Gabi too.”

_Good he doesn’t recognize me._

“Uh, no! Just him,” And without another word, Vinh yanked Charlie with all her might from the band’s locker room. He tripped over his feet, pleading for Vinh to stop and wait for Gabi, and pull his arm away from Vinh but the pint sized woman held a vice grip on him, dragging Charlie with her across the parking lot. She wouldn’t lose her cousin over some pussy he wasn’t even getting. It was his first night here. He couldn’t die yet.

“Not a fucking word, Charlie.” Vinh ordered after she shoved him against the passenger front door. She almost felt guilty using such force on him until she spotted the intimidating figure dressed in all black, following Gabi down the Opera House stairs to her car. He didn’t look their way, too busy on Gabi’s heels to notice them and Vinh didn’t want to wait around for him to.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Vinh muttered to herself again and again. She drove around aimlessly, in case Nigel wised up and had them followed. “That’s her?” she quizzed Charlie. “That’s the woman you met early? Geez, Charlie! You would pick the only woman in Bucharest married to a fucking maniac crime lord.”

“I didn’t know she was married. Victor never mentioned she had a husband.”

“I don’t see why the fuck not. If I married a lunatic I’d want everyone to know…actually no I wouldn’t because that would mean I’m just as crazy as he is for marrying the motherfucker!”

“We should still go to the dinner,” Charlie added, “For Victor.”

“We!?” Vinh said. “I don’t know any Victor and I don’t owe him shit for going to some shit dinner. I have food at home anyway. We’ll eat that.”

“Come on, Vinh. We can’t let that asshole ruin our night,” he reasoned. “Plus, I need a drink after this. Don’t tell me you can’t use one too—or three.”

She could actually. Romanians were notorious as gracious hosts with a cabinet full of alcohol. Plus, there would be food; free food that was greasy and hot to soak up all said alcohol.

“Fuck!” Vinh swore at her cousin’s inherited charm. “Where does he live?”

Vinh and Charlie beat Gabi home for dinner. After a two knocks Victor ripped the door open and greeted Charlie with open arms.

“Charlie, my boy, bine aț vine!” The two fast friends exchanged hugs and Victor ushered Charlie inside with him.

“Victor, this is my cousin, Vinh. Is it okay if she joins us?” Vinh peered from behind Charlie and waved ‘hello’ to Victor.

“Fireşte!” Victor offered Vinh an equally big hug and kisses on both cheeks before he guided the cousins into the dining room.

“Gabi isn’t home yet. She had a performance this evening at the Opera House.” Victor’s chest swelled with pride when he mentioned Gabi and where she worked.

“We saw her,” Charlie quickly added, “with the band, I mean.”

That made Victor’s chest grow even bigger. “She was wonderful, wasn’t she?”

“That’s good your Gabi was able to find steady work as a musician. Most can’t even find places to play on weekends let alone on a daily basis at one of the most prestigious places in the city,” Vinh complimented. “A lot of people don’t get their dream career on the first try.”

Victor decided drinks were best since it would have been rude to start dinner without Gabi. “But you’re not here for the food, are you Charlie?” Victor winked as Charlie blushed at the dig. Everyone was on the same page in regards to those two. With Victor’s implied approval, Charlie would likely go full-steam ahead with trying his luck with Gabi. Vinh cringed at the thought of them together. His luck was going to run out soon and she had hoped Charlie moved out by then.

Shortly after introductions, Gabi arrived home in time for dinner. Victor raced to the door to greet her with Charlie on his heels. Vinh gave Gabi a quick wave and got out of the way while the two men fussed over the intriguing redhead. Vinh noticed Gabi’s smudged lipstick and runny eyeliner over her rosy cheeks. Vinh suspected something happened between here and the Opera House with her and NIgel. Then again, she was trying to escape her crazy ex-husband. That would make anyone upset.

Once Gabi returned after freshening up, everyone settled at the table for dinner. Dishes of this and bowls of that were passed around the table until everyone got their fill. Dinner conversation went over pleasantly. Victor animatedly discussed his two weeks in Chicago visiting old friends and his time at Wrigley Stadium.

“But the Cubs suck.” Vinh chimed in.

“That’s what I said!” Charlie and Victor laughed. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time he had told this story and from the sound of it this won’t be the last telling of his wild American tale either. He also complained about how rude and pushy people were and about their horrible takeaway food.

“Charlie was also rude when I met him,” Victor winked. “But I won him over with my charm.”

“You mean your insistence, Pa?” Vinh almost missed Gabi’s bashful smile up at Charlie across the table while Victor clapped at her knowing claim.

“If only Victor knew the trouble Charlie had been up to in matter of hours after he arrived.” Vinh thought before she diverted the focus off Charlie and onto herself (before he said something stupid). She claimed not all of America was bad and mentioned her life in Annapolis, Maryland. Piggybacking off of her, Gabi talked about her ultimate dream of touring America if and when she had the chance to. Victor encouraged her wanderlust.

“You would have been able to do as you please if you didn’t marry that bou.”

“Pa, please,” Gabi pleaded with her father, “Not now.”

“That was her one mistake marrying that donkey, Nigel!” Victor hissed with a nasty snarl breaking apart his lips. “Normally, I am with her at the Opera House as he wouldn’t dare show his face when I am there. But I am an old man and time has caught up with me tonight. I needed my rest.”

“I’m fine on my own, Pa.”

“As long as Nigel breathes, he will never leave you be,” he declared to his guests along with Gabi. “You will never be on your own. Luckily, he doesn’t know about my trip and me not working tonight.”

Victor glared over at Vinh and Charlie for reassurance of Nigel’s absence. Charlie’s words twisted and stumbled over his tongue. Vinh just shrugged at his suspicions with a lie in her back pocket.

“We wouldn’t know. We headed straight here after the show.”

Eventually, Charlie regained his ability to form complete sentences. “How long have you and Nigel been married?”

_Damnit, Charlie!_

“Too long,” Victor intercepted before Gabi could answer for herself. “But I know how to keep him away even if Gabi cannot. We had a chat months ago. So far, he has kept his distance. Once the divorce is complete, we will both leave this city. This country if we have to.”

Gabi reached over and squeezed her father’s hand. There was a brief silence over the table before Gabi spoke again.

“I married Nigel the 30th of September last year. It was a whirlwind summer romance that went too far. By the 30th of October I left him. We have to be separated for a year before I can file for divorce.”

“I told you of my wife, remember, Charlie? My Miraim just passed the February before last and Gabi needed a distraction is all.” Victor tried to cover for her, his sweet Gabi who couldn’t do any serious harm in his eyes. It was all Nigel according to him. “He tried to snatch her from me. He tried to convince her to leave me behind. That I would die soon so I did not matter any longer.” The hard, deep lines around Victor’s watery eyes alleviated when he recalled the rest of the memory. “But after our talk together, my Gabi came to her senses and returned home where she belonged.”

Father and daughter exchanged smiles and let each other’s hand go. Dinner continued on without another mention of Nigel or his and Gabi’s ugly divorce. When it was over, Victor offered another round of bear hugs before Charlie and Vinh said their goodbyes as Gabi walked them out.

Once outside the house, she sparked up a cigarette and offered the cousins a puff of hers. Vinh declined. Charlie accepted.

“Let me just apologize for earlier tonight. Nigel’s behavior was uncalled for. I told him so after you two left.”

“I see why you’re divorcing that prick.” Charlie added with a puff. Vinh eyed their surroundings while Charlie and Gabi talked. She looked for anything suspicious and out-of-place. Possibly another person smoking nearby, hiding in the shadows, under a hooded sweatshirt, trying to hide their face from them. After a long look up and down the street, Vinh returned to the conversation.

“He wasn’t like that when I met him, you know. He was funny and adventurous,” Gabi justified. “I couldn’t take all the crying and sadness with my Pa all the time. Nigel was injured, resting in an apartment above the cafe where I played my cello from time-to-time. He claimed my music saved his life and kept him calm while he healed. We were what the other person needed, you understand.”

Vinh pulled her hair out from its ponytail and rolled her eyes under its length. She knew this story. Every woman had her own version of it.

_You mean you needed an ego boost and a dick to cry on._ _We’ve all been there, honey._

“And what do you need now?” Charlie asked taking the burning cigarette back from Gabi, their fingers lingering on the other’s during the exchange.

“I don’t know Charlie,” batting her eyes as she replied. “Maybe what I need will come to me if I’m patient enough.” Charlie licked his lips in response.

“I’ll be in the car.” Vinh stated to no one when it appeared neither of them paid her any mind. When Charlie finally joined Vinh, she noticed the smear of red lipstick across his lips. Along with a big, cheesy grin. Even his teeth had lipstick on them. Vinh shook her head and started the car.

“So where to now, Romeo?”

“Oh do you mind if we go home?” Charlie suggested while fumbling through his phone. “The time difference I catching up with me.”

“You just got here. Who could you possibly texting right now?”

“Gabi,” he answered without lifting his head.

“Figures.”

Charlie continued tapping on his phone, ignoring his cousin’s dismay. “She invited us back Saturday for her pops’ homecoming party. It’s around the same time as dinner.”

“I hope whatever Victor said to Nigel holds real weight because when he finds out you’re messing around with his wife and you’re not one of her musician coworkers—and not gay—he’s going to have your head, boy.”

“Gabi added the ‘gay’ part after I walked in on them.” Charlie added.

“Yeah, I doubt actually being gay would have refrained Nigel from using such language. People like him just throw those words around. It’s disgusting!”

“I’m not really worried about it.” Charlie responded from cloud nine.

Vinh side eyed her little cousin. He was in for a world of hurt—literally when Nigel got a hold of him. And she just knew she wasn’t going to come out of this smelling like roses either after all was said and done. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vinh tries to help Charlie with his potential relationship with Gabi but his new girlfriend's past isn't the only one who shows up at the worst possible time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine. 
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

“Why are we here again, Vinh? Don’t get me wrong. Museums are nice and all and Chicago’s full of some of the best in the world but…”

“But what, Charlie?” Vinh replied. “You want to impress this woman or not? Being cultured and knowing a bunch of shit is impressive to women. At least to a woman whose ex-husband probably doesn’t take her anywhere other than to loud night clubs, seedy bars and hoe-in-the-wall kebab shops.”

Vinh figured if Charlie was going to try and date Gabi regardless of how ill-advised Vinh warned him it would be, she might as well make sure he actually gets somewhere with her. When Vinh returned home from work and caught Charlie napping, she nicked his phone lying above his heart like a lifeline.

“Really dude, no password?” Vinh muttered scrolling through Charlie’s phone. According to the timestamps, he’d been talking to Gabi for hours late last night. And then, they spoke that morning after Vinh left for work before the call ended after two hours.

_I can’t stand people after two minutes. Two hours? That’s ridiculous._

She shook her head while overlooking her poor cousin. He had it bad. Vinh dropped the phone back on top of Charlie’s chest, making him jolt awake from the sudden attack.

“What the—?”

“Get up, lover boy, you’re not going to be lying around the house all day,” Vinh insisted. “We’re going out.” Ever since then, they’d been out trekking through the main tourist areas of North Bucharest, including Old Town. She showed him the museum first to get it out of the away. Then some restaurants, shops and attractions on the main strip Charlie would likely be visiting most often for his first couple of weeks here.

While they were at it, Vinh suggested Charlie apply to some of the places they walked passed. Just so he could help with rent, expenses over the summer and save for his own place too. Since he was American, tourists would feel comfortable talking to him. Vinh was sure Gabi would teach him Romanian and show him more of her preferred local spots to hang around too. On Monday, she’d submit his resume to the school in administration like her.

As far as she knew, he had a clean record and maybe worked a desk job at some point. He would get in easy. Not far into their afternoon excursions, Gabi texted Charlie again and Vinh realized she had lost him for the rest of the day. Later on, she received her own share of texts from her friend, Luc.

“U coming out tonight or what?”

“Please please come out with us! Itll be fun!!!”

Four more similar texts to the ones prior popped up on her phone before she finally replied back to Luc.

“Is it ok if I bring my cousin Charlie?”

“Sure the more the merrier.”

“No exclamations on that, huh, Luc?” Vinh noticed in his reply, “Not too excited about a tagalong, are we?”

She texted back. “Bring Karl w u. He cud use sum fun before his interview.”

“U betta be there :) :) :)”

Vinh sighed at the smiley faces. Luc’s flirting needed work. He wasn’t smooth with it and he had built up a reputation for himself among the women in the party scene that wasn’t too flattering.

Vinh seriously thought she would have to rip Charlie’s phone from his hand and throw it out from the balcony but when she mentioned a night out walking to the bathroom, by the time she came back out he was ready and waiting on the couch.

“Let me guess,” Vinh laughed, “Gabi’s going to be there?”

“She might stop pass,” Charlie shrugged, “So what?”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t act like you’re not excited to see your girlfriend.”

Once they all met up, Vinh attempted to make introductions between the fellas short and sweet but the over-friendly Luc had a mind of his own. He couldn’t wait to brag about his stash of illicit drugs and his connections throughout Romania. Vinh used to buy from Luc at one point before she went into business for herself but his mouth got him in trouble too often for her liking. Vinh sold mostly marijuana when she needed the money, especially for the upcoming summer tourist season to balance out the lack of work hours. Then, unprompted by no one, Luc boasted about his roommate Karl’s upcoming porn audition.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just stressed out and anxious about it. Once it’s over, he’ll be the life of the party again.”

Charlie didn’t seem too weirded out by the pair so Vinh quit caring and tried to enjoy her night. Drugs outside of marijuana didn’t interest her and she warned Charlie beforehand about Luc’s side hustle but didn’t discourage his intake of them or the alcohol they all shared in buying at the bars they visited that night.

“How are you feeling, cuz?” Vinh nudged Charlie for his attention since he probably couldn’t hear her over the music. “You ready to tap out?” Vinh had two drinks and plenty of water in between. The group visited their third bar of the night and Luc was already going on about the next one by the time they found a booth with enough room for all four of them.

“I’m going to take a piss.” Charlie yelled in Vinh’s ear, spilling his drink over her knees. That was her queue to leave. Vinh grabbed a hold of Luc and told him she and Charlie were about to head out.

“Oh, come on. It’s not even one yet.”

“He’s done, Luc. He probably can’t even hold his dick right now.”

“One more drink then, yeah?”

Vinh begrudgingly agreed but insisted Luc wait until she brought Charlie back from the bathroom. He threw two thumbs up before Vinh went towards the bathrooms, squeezing in between the crowds of sweaty, drunk party people. But once she made it there there was a humongous line trailing back out onto the dance floor. She didn’t want to deal with a bunch of drunks thinking she was trying to cut the line so Vinh waited by an adjacent wall, close to the front door with an eye out for Charlie.

She cherished the nice cool breeze that flowed in from the outside as people came and went. She could hear herself think for the first time the whole night against the buzz of music vibrating throughout her body where she stood instead of the usual bass banging in her ears.

“And what the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” A familiar voice hissed beside her. Vinh didn’t need to turn around to face him. She knew coming here was a bad idea but it had been so long she didn’t think a drink or two would hurt.

“Hi, Darko.”

“Didn’t I fucking warn you the last time not to come back here?”

“Yeah but come on, Darko,” Vinh whined, “That was like three years ago. You’re still holding that against me? I don’t even have anything on me now.”

“Don’t fuck with me, _Vinnie_.” He purposely called her knowing it grated on her nerves when people did so. “You know very well everything in North Bucharest belongs to me,” Darko reminded her. “And your spit on my cock has dried since then. But if you’re willing to offer a little more this time...” he suggested with a sinister smile.

“Selling a little weed to some tourists and baby freshmen to pay my rent won’t hurt you, Darko,” Vinh defended. “If anything it helps because when they want something stronger—the ‘good shit’—I send them to you.”

Darko extended his arm out for Vinh to leave. “Don’t make me hurt you, Vinnie. It will look poorly on my image as the club owner.”

“Too late everyone already thinks you’re a piece of shit.” Vinh pressed up on her toes, searching for any sight of Charlie before Darko shoved her out of the club. She nearly tripped and fell on the pavement on her way out. Some onlookers and smokers laughed at her, called her names in Romanian; more than likely mistaking her for an addict or prostitute caught snorting and tricking in the bathrooms. It happened from time-to-time if the lines got too long. Vinh gathered what dignity she had left and walked back to her car. A text from Charlie greeted her soon after.

“Where’d u go? Carl n Luke said u wnt 4 me bt nvr cme back.”

“Line 2 long went home 2 p. be safe.” Two other missed calls followed afterwards but Vinh ignored them. They could wait until she was in the mood to talk, preferably when her pride restored to normal. She tossed her phone onto the floor on the passenger’s side, rolled down the two front windows and concentrated on getting home. Even with just a slight buzz she needed all the help she could get.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DO NOT DRIVE AND DRIVE PEOPLE!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez, Vinh. What a night! Don't worry, everyone's favorite low-down, dirty gangster pays her a visit. He always makes it better.
> 
> Yeah, right :/
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the female OC, Vinh. I have never been to Bucharest (although it's listed as one of the cheapest places in Europe to visit right now and I'm very tempted to hop on a plane). I also don't condone any of the nasty, offensive and abusive words and/or behavior exhibited by any of the characters throughout this story.
> 
> Read, review & enjoy!

Vinh slept in that next morning. She’d been booted and banned from one of the hottest clubs in Bucharest (again). And her cousin who moved in with her for all of two days hasn’t come home yet. She prayed Charlie lived another day avoiding Nigel’s clutches. She couldn’t let her anxiety get the best of her. She had to do something to burn off this worrisome energy. When she couldn’t hold it off any longer, she eventually rolled out of bed.

Vinh’s mornings (nearly noon today) normally started with a cup of coffee not with a flood of cigarette smoke pouring into her apartment from the balcony.

“It’s about time you son-of-a-bitch. I was getting worried,” she yelled out to Charlie before she went to close the door. “Do you have to keep the door open? At least, close the screen.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, gorgeous.” Not Charlie but Nigel. “Sorry to worry you. I’ll make sure to call next time.” Vinh cursed that meddlesome Charlie, that damn beautiful Gabi and hospitable Victor.

“Look, Nigel,” Vinh pleaded as she jumped back from the balcony door and put distance between her intruder and herself behind the couch. “I told Darko I wouldn’t go back the club anymore and I meant it. He could’ve just told you that. There was no need to break into my apartment.”

Nigel dangled a keychain holding a purple key fob where Vinh could clearly see it. Charlie’s key fob to be exact.

“Your business with Darko is your business with him. I, on the other hand,” Nigel added as he casually strolled back into Vinh’s apartment and took a seat on her couch, “want to discuss something entirely different. Or someone I should say.”

“What did you do to Charlie? How do you have his key? Where is he, Nigel?”

“Funny,” he grinned, branding his nicotine stained canines,” I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“Well,” Vinh crossed her arms over her thin t-shirt to hide her braless chest from Nigel’s prying eyes. “He's not here. He hasn’t been here since yesterday.”

“Don’t make me ask again,” he warned. “I’m losing my buzz and my patience. Had I paid you any mind at the Opera House I would have come sooner.”

“He’s not here, Nigel! We went to Darko’s club, had some drinks, and got a little high. He reminded me I was banned for something stupid I did years ago—may I add and kicked me out,” she explained. “I got a text from Charlie after I left but nothing since. I remember he went to the bathroom when I ran into Darko but that’s it, Nigel. I swear! Do you want to see the texts?”

The madman didn’t reply. He just pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lighter. Exasperated from his stubbornness, Vinh focused on her coffee instead. She would need the caffeine to keep up with this back and forth after the night she had.

“Look, Nigel, I don’t know what else you want me to tell you. Other than—oh shit!”

“Never turn your back on a tiger, little one. He might just pounce.” He whispered down in her ear after he came face-to-face with her kitchen. Nigel towered over Vinh’s 5’4” stature. Without her heels on, she barely came to his armpits. After a few daunting seconds, Nigel finally backed away but instead of leaving, he sat at her breakfast bar and lit a new cigarette.

“Are you going to offer me a cup or what?” Vinh really didn’t have a choice. After she unglued her monkey grip from the counter, she prepared two cups of espresso; taking hers with two shots of sweet cream and sugar and left his black. They sat in silence as they exchanged sips of their drinks before Vinh regained her courage to get her intruder to leave.

“Are we done here, Nigel?”

“Not quite, Vinnie.”

_Not you too._

“Please don’t call me that. I get enough of that shit from Darko as is.”

He extinguished his cigarette out in his wasted coffee after he blew one last puff. “Bring it to me.”

Vinh frowned at the question. “Bring what?”

“The stash,” he demanded. “All of it.”

She paled. “I thought you said the business between me and Darko was our business only. You can’t have my stash, Nigel. I need it to pay my rent!”

“Listen, like I said, your fucking business with Darko is your fucking business with him but I was ordered to confiscate your stash and I’m here to fucking collect. I would have loved a blow job instead since I heard that’s what you normally offer but the espresso came in a close second, darling. Now,” Nigel flicked his fingers at Vinh for her to get what Darko demanded he retrieve while here. On the verge of tears, Vinh did as she was told. She grabbed her two stashes (because neither he nor Darko were dumb enough to believe she only had one) from out of a pot in a fake plant from her garden and the other from inside a full, uneaten cereal box.

“Thank you, gorgeous; for this and for the fucking coffee. I needed it after the night I had.” Nigel added before finally exiting Vinh’s apartment. Vinh’s rent was due two weeks from today and she was short several hundred dollars. Now Vinh was broke, her cousin still missing and a notorious Romanian drug dealer had a key to her apartment.

“Great. Just fucking great.”

After Vinh pulled herself together, she busied herself by cleaning up and airing out any evidence of Nigel when a message alert dinged on her phone. It was from Charlie.

“Im alive. Battery low. Call u ltr.”

“Good,” Vinh said relieved. “One less thing I have to worry about.”

She sat and stewed on her couch after her morning’s horrible start. It wasn’t long until Charlie showed his patchy bearded face again.

“Ayo, Vinh open up! I lost my key.” Charlie hollered from outside the apartment. She buzzed him up but didn’t bother greeting him at the door. He knocked and shouted until he finally got the idea to try the unlocked door handle. “Hey, why is the door unlocked?” he asked, bypassing Vinh on the couch and straight into the kitchen. “You won’t believe what the fuck happened Vinh. I’m so glad to be back here in normal company.”

“Nigel was here, Charlie.” Vinh flatly stated, “He broke into my apartment.”

“Holy shit,” he gasped. “You had to buzz me in to get up here. How’d he get in? What’d he want?”

Vinh’s eyes darkened at him. “You know damn well what he wanted, Charlie.” He didn’t need to know about the weed. As far as he’s concerned Vinh only dabbled, not sold. She wanted to keep it that way. “Plus, he somehow got your key.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “that explains his fake ass apology and that piss ant, Darko.”

“What?” Vinh jumped to her feet at the mention of the club owner’s name. “You know, Darko? How?”

“Apparently, Karl took a shit load of Viagra to test them out before his audition but his dick wouldn’t go back down. And FYI, did you notice it at all last night? I might’ve been pissed drunk out of my mind not to until Luc pointed it out.” Charlie chuckled to himself recalling the hazy memory. “I mean that shit was a beast poking out Karl’s pants.”

“Charlie focus. What about Darko?”

“Oh yeah,” he scuttled over and sat beside Vinh, rubbing his temples concentrating on the details of his hectic night. “So Luc suggested Karl needed to some excitement to distract him from that pole sticking out his pants and he’s be fine again. So we go to watch the dancers and chill by the bar. The next thing we know Karl’s surrounded by all these giant security guards. We go to see what’s up and then we’re dragged along with him into this back room by this guy named Darko.”

“Backroom? What backroom? What did Darko say to you guys?”

“He gave us the bill for Karl’s load all over the club’s furniture and for traumatizing the show girls. A load of bullshit is what it was with that high ass bill.” Vinh grew impatient but let Charlie work at his own pace if she wanted to get anywhere with this story.

“Anyway, he noticed when I got side tracked after I spotted a picture of Gabi on his wall. He interrogated me, mentioned Nigel—who by the way, ambushed me when I went to the bathroom,” he recounted, diverting from the story again. “I was still out of my mind from earlier. I didn’t think he was real at first. That’s probably how he swiped my key. Can you believe that?”

“Yeah, yeah, and what else?”

“Okay...he asked me questions about Gabi and if I was seeing her. And, if I’d seen Nigel because he’s not supposed to be in Bucharest.”

“And...what did you tell him?”

“I don’t know,” he drifted in and out from the conversation. “Most of it was a blur. I’m forgetting most of it, I know I am. Damn, what else _did_ happen?”

Vinh noticed Charlie favoring his right side and cradling his left arm. His clothes were filthy and there was…

“Is that blood?” She reached over and inspected the rest of him. “Is that yours? What did they do to you?”

Charlie winced from her firm handle on him and the amount of effort to pull away from Vinh. “It’s nothing. I got hit by a car.”

“You got hit by a what!?”

“Funny thing,” Charlie laughed at himself again. “I originally thought it was Nigel that hit me but it was just some cabbie.”

“What were you doing roaming around in the street? Where were those other two dummies I left you with?”

“No, no, no, it was after I saw Gabi.” He snapped his fingers after he stumbled upon the lost detail. “Oh, and I saw Gabi.”

_Oh my God, save me from the bullshit._

“Yeah, I got that part.”

“We hung out all night afterward the whole ‘Karl shooting his load everywhere’ incident,” Charlie proudly added, giddy as a schoolgirl who got her first Valentine’s Day lollipop. “I was miffed when I didn’t hear back from her while at the club at first but when I saw that dickhead husband of hers and then Darko I kind of figured why she didn’t show up or text. We didn’t kiss this time but we will when I see her again. She said so after I sobered up. And when we do, it’s on!”

“Ugh, enough! It’s bad enough you’re still pissed out of your mind, got hit by a car, and interrogated by a crime boss. I don’t need to know about your sex life too.”

“I’m going to lie down,” he noted, a little green in the face. “I think I’m starting to crash.”

“Yeah, ecstasy and bottles of Romanian rum does that to you.” Vinh pointed out as Charlie stumbled and bumped into everything not even in his way back to his room. They had more to discuss but now wasn’t the time. Once Charlie got settled, Vinh busied herself with making a sobering greasy meal for her and Charlie once he woke up again. The early afternoon’s events rolled around in Vinh’s head again while she cooked.

“Why didn’t Nigel threaten me or destroy my place? He could’ve figured out where my stash was without me. Hiding one in my plants was obvious. But he needed the rest,” she remembered. “How long had he been here before I woke up? Did he come into my room while I slept at some point?” Vinh cringed at the thought. “I’ve must have been a sight. I look like shit in the morning.”

After slaving in the kitchen, a nap and a shower, Vinh discovered Charlie shoveling sausages and fried potatoes in his mouth. Vinh’s butter, strawberry jelly, maple syrup and the largest mug Charlie could find were piled on the bar all within arm’s reach.

“Hey sleepy head,” he greeted her with a mouth full of food. “Thanks for the grub. I’m starving.”

Vinh frowned at Charlie as he happily chowed down. “How can you eat like this?” She asked, retopping jars and tossing sticking silverware into the sink. “You seriously found anything and everything you could and smothered it on your food.”

“I don’t care,” he shrugged at her disgust. “Whatever tastes good.”

“Anyway,” Vinh added, annoyed she had to cook the food and clean up after her house guest who was perfectly capable of doing so himself. “What time do you want to get ready for Victor’s party? It’s four now. Assuming it’s the same time as dinner we only have a few hours before it starts. ”

“I don’t know.” Charlie ignored the napkins Vinh placed in front of him, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand instead. “I need to talk to Gabi first but being a little late won’t hurt.” He started patting down his pants in search for his precious cellphone. He even put his fork down for the first time since Vinh walked in when he realized it wasn’t there. He finally found it in the bathroom after he turned over Vinh’s living room and retraced his steps through her fridge and kitchen cabinets.

“Gabi texted me,” Charlie hollered from out the bathroom while Vinh cleaned up (again). “The party’s at eight until whenever, I guess.”

“You should pack a bag, Romeo,” Vinh suggested. “No ‘end time’ could mean you’re staying the night if you play your cards right.”

“Really?”

“Trust me, Charlie. She clearly likes you. Her dad likes you,” Vinh counted, “and as long as you’re not as close of an asshole as Nigel is, you’re good.”

“Sweet!” Charlie shouted, leaving Vinh to clean up the rest of his mess.

_He’s got it real bad._

With a wine bottle in Vinh’s hand and a bouquet of flowers in Charlie’s, the cousins ventured back into Victor and Gabi’s house for another dinner party. Guests were roaming around the property, coming and going in and out of the house. Charlie and Vinh followed in behind some other guests, leading them to a guest book Vinh loosely translated in English as ‘Welcome Home Party’ with Victor’s name and photo on it. After a bit of searching, they finally found the guest of honor talking animatedly with guests in his mother’s tongue.

Vinh assumed he was describing his time in America when she heard ‘Chicago’ and ‘hot dogs’ like he did two nights ago with her and Charlie. However, when he spotted Charlie, Victor’s words halted at the sight of his new American friend.

“Charlie, Charlie,” Victor called out for him. “This is the boy I met from America!” He exchanged kisses on Charlie’s cheeks and ushered him over to his friends to fuss over.

“Yeah, I’ll just…” was all Vinh managed to utter as the crowd moved their attention back to Victor and his American fly buddy. She left her wine gift on the table with the food and wished it luck with whoever grabbed it first. Vinh didn’t know what to do with herself so she followed the music playing in another room. Gabi was still nowhere to be found but Vinh recognized the musicians playing harmoniously in front of a crowd in the living room as Gabi’s coworkers from the Opera House.

Soon after their set ended, Gabi and her cello filed in after them. Once the applause ended, she carried her cello into the center and began playing. This was the main event for the night. The room filled to capacity, including Victor who finally shut his mouth and remained in one place Vinh assumed for the first time the whole night, dragging Charlie along with the other houseguests to watch his beloved daughter play.

“Bravo! Bravo!” Victor hollered, leading the crowd in whistles and clapping when Gabi finished. Vinh noticed the cellist’s chest heaving and hair astray from its pin while she was enthralled with playing for her crowd. It was impressive. Afterwards, Gabi hugged her father and kissed Charlie on the cheek when he handed her the flowers he purchased on the car ride over.

“The lovebirds are connected once again,” Vinh rejoiced. “Now time for the free food and booze.” Plenty of food and merriment spread throughout the house and into the night. Before Vinh knew it, two plates and three drinks later, it was after one in the morning. Although she didn’t plan in getting this out-of-hand with her alcohol intake, Vinh was definitely incapable of driving by this point.

_I should’ve packed a bag my damn self._

Vinh wandered on weak legs and uncoordinated steps around the house, making sure not to stay in one place for too long before people started to stare and get suspicious. She eventually collided into someone’s white shirt covering their solid broad chest. Strong hands shoved her away but then quickly snatched her wrist before she stumbled onto the ground. The room spun like a merry-go-round. Body parts and faces moved quicker than she could possibly process.

_Are we dancing? Am I standing still and they’re moving really fast? This is too much. I think I’m going to be sick._

The mysterious person in the clean white shirt and floppy hair swayed from three faces back to one before they freed Vinh and then charged through the crowd of guests and away from the party.

“Whoa! Ayo Vinh, there you are!” Charlie rescued Vinh from further humiliation, hoisting her up by her waist and guiding her back to the front of the house. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

“Gabi. Overnight bag.” Vinh managed in short breaths.

“What? No. Not now. God you’re drunk.” Eventually, Vinh felt Charlie lift her onto her familiar flattened car seats and forced the seatbelt securely across her. That night was mostly a blur not unlike Charlie’s the night before. She faintly remembered the car ride home. The pretty, bright lights passing by in the window while Charlie drove with a faint whiff of a spicy cologne and cigarette smoke; a similar scent that lingered in her apartment earlier the afternoon before.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please hit the kudos button if you like this chapter. Also, share and review if you would so kindly.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cousins attempt to move on with their lives but dear old Nigel has other plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine. 
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

“I’m really sorry I cock blocked you last night, Charlie. I got ahead of myself with the wine and the rum.”

“Vinh I said it’s okay.” He reassured her for the third time since she rose from the drunken dead. “You, I could have handled on my own. Throw you in a spare bedroom somewhere when everybody left. But Nigel killed any chance between me and Gabi last night.”

Charlie explained how Nigel showed up guns blazing (not literally, thankfully) and threatened to maim Charlie with a broken wine glass in front of all the guests. However, Victor reminded him of their ‘understanding’ while brandishing a gun at Nigel.

“You should’ve seen Victor with that Clint Eastwood gun, man! Just when you think he’s this sweet old man, he shows you a different side; his protective dad side. Then, he shot at Nigel.”

“Wait,” Vinh interrupted, “he shot Nigel?”

“Well almost,” Charlie clarified. “I don’t think Victor meant to anyway. Just to scare Nigel off. And it definitely worked. That dipshit ran out of there so damn fast.”

“Yeah,” Vinh pointed out, “right into me.”

“Yeah, well, at least he didn’t try to slit your throat open.”

“No, but it definitely could’ve been worst.” Charlie fell silent after that comment. Twice Nigel got the drop on Charlie in less than a week. She wouldn’t want to talk about it either.

“Come on I got breakfast,” Vinh offered. “There’s this nice little place with fresh pastries and good coffee. Way better than my store bought crap.” She elbowed Charlie for a laugh and he managed to cough one up for her. They walked to the cafe and chatted about some of Charlie’s summer work prospects.

Many didn’t call back and the few that did Charlie simply wasn’t interested. Vinh loved having him around. It was like old times but the shoe was on the other foot and sweet, baby Charlie was the troublemaker and not a defiant Vinh. Finally, she found she could actually withstand for more than five minutes. Someone she didn’t have to explain herself or her habits to; or her past.

She didn’t want to lose that or resent Charlie because she had to carry the financial burden for the both of them. As luck would have it, when the cousins left the cafe shop, Charlie got a call back from the same place.

He jumped up from the couch freaking the shit out of Vinh, out on the balcony watering her plants. “Holy shit, thank you!”

“What the hell, Charlie? Are you ok?”

“That was the cafe Vinh. The one we just left. Well, not that one. They’re a chain, actually,” he explained excitedly. “It’s on the west side near Gabi’s by another university. The metro is close by and I can walk her home after my shift.”

Vinh shared in his excitement with a big hug. “That’s great! When do you start and what shift?”

“First thing tomorrow. Well, not first thing,” he paused, “more like 10am so I don’t interrupt the morning rush but first thing for me because it’s going to take me forever to get there.” Charlie grinned regardless the amount of back and forth he’d have to do once he started work. Vinh shared in his enthusiasm. He would have money and get to see his precious Gabi. Vinh wasn’t sure how that would work out but she didn’t bother to ask either.

“How about this?” Vinh piped up. “With Nigel running loose, it wouldn’t do well with you traveling unguarded on foot. Take my car.”

Charlie’s ear brightened beat red at Vinh’s gift. “Really?” Charlie buried Vinh in a bear hug. “You’re awesome, Vinh.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just be careful and be ready to pay your half of the rent soon.”

Weeks passed since the fiasco at Victor’s homecoming. Charlie claimed he liked the new job but from what Vinh heard about Gabi’s visits during his lunch break and their time together when he drove her home, work was the last thing on his mind.

Other than when it rained, Vinh didn’t mind walking to work. She left early enough when it wasn’t too hot and the distance between her apartment and the school was short enough so she didn’t have to worry about gathering pit stains in her nice clothes. Unfortunately, the cousin’s bubble of solitude abruptly popped in the worst way possible.

Vinh beat Charlie home as usual during the work week. She was home by six and Charlie didn’t return until eight; eleven if he rode home with Gabi and on his days off he just stayed with her and Victor. Vinh didn’t mind as long as he steered clear of trouble. That good streak ended when Vinh noticed her car parked outside her apartment when she got home.

“Hey Charlie, why are you home so early?” Vinh yelled out after putting her belongings down on the couch. “Did you break their espresso machine already?”

“Not quite, gorgeous.”

“Shit.” Vinh froze at the familiar raspy voice, hiding out of sight in her apartment again. Nigel came strolling out from Vinh’s bathroom, wiping something off from his hands—blood.

The question choked up Vinh’s throat as she cried them out. “What did you do?”

“Showed your little cunt friend not to fuck with me or my wife.” Nigel winced as he continued to rub his bruised knuckles. “He can’t hide behind that old man forever.”

Water filled Vinh’s ears. Heat rose up from her legs, boiling through her stomach and then burning up into her chest the longer she imagined her little cousin Charlie lying in a ditch somewhere bloodied and broken, maybe dead. It took a minute before Vinh noticed Nigel was trying to get her attention.

“Hey! Hey! Are you fucking listening?” Vinh finally blinked and took in her surroundings. She was back in her apartment. Nigel was here again, ruining her hand towels with blood; Charlie’s blood.

“Where’s Charlie?” Vinh finally croaked out.

“What the fuck do I care?” Nigel shrugged. “As long as he’s away from my fucking Gabi I don’t give a flying fuck where he is.”

“Was he breathing when you left him? Shit, where did you leave him, Nigel? Give me something.” Vinh frantically searched for her phone and dialed Charlie’s number. It rung several times until it eventually went to voicemail.

“He was alive and well, darling.” Nigel said while rummaging through her fridge for bottled water. “Then again, I did leave a bag over his head so he may not be fucking fine anymore.”

“What!?” Vinh grabbed her keys and ran back out of the apartment. It was like pulling teeth with Nigel. She searched for Charlie at the nearest hospital where he worked, figuring that was the best place to start. Eventually, after three hours and two hospitals, come to find out Charlie had already been checked over and discharged when Vinh finally found him.

“He got me bad. at gabes. vic wont let me leev.” Charlie finally texted to Vinh after she called him five times. She didn’t bother with a reply. She raced over to meet Charlie to assess the damage herself. And from the amount of blood his face leaked from behind the weak bandages compared to the amount Nigel wiped from his knuckles, poor Charlie definitely got the worst of it.

“What happened?” Vinh demanded as she knelt in front of Charlie. The cousins, his lover and her father all gathered in the bathroom with Charlie‘s head face down into the sink. “Why didn’t you stay at the hospital? Clearly you weren’t done there.”

“The nurses started asking questions about what happened. Shortly, the police would ask too about the property damage he and Nigel caused back at the cafe,” Gabi answered.

“All Nigel.” The words gurgled out of Charlie’s move as blood splattered crimson all over the porcelain sink. He tried to lift his head but Gabi pushed it back down, further into the sink while the water ran. Beaten to a pulp, Charlie’s head was caked with blood, one eye swollen shut and abrasions all over his neck and face. Vinh wouldn’t be surprised if Charlie had a few cracked molars as well.

“And the events leading up to this _was_?” Vinh asked again.

“Charlie and I meet with each other at his work when I am not at the Opera House. We have been meeting for weeks now so Nigel must have caught on and met us there too,” Gabi explained. “I tried to get him to leave, that I would talk to him later.”

“You speak to this rat? Even now, Gabrielle?” Victor spat out disapprovingly.

“I just said that to get him to leave, Pa. I know how to calm him down.”

Vinh strained, trying to keep the tension out of her voice. “So you were alone talking to him while Charlie was still inside?” Gabi nodded. “But when Nigel didn’t leave what happened next?”

“Charlie was inside still working but he must have heard us arguing. He then came out and demanded Nigel leave,” Gabi paused, recalling the memory, “that our marriage over and to let me move on.”

“It is.”

“Hush Charles,” Vinh ordered. “You’ve caused enough trouble. Hopefully, your boss won’t fire you after the damage to the cafe. Even though it was Nigel’s fault,” she quickly added. “The owner may not see it that way. They know you, not Nigel. And let’s just hope the cops don’t come knocking on my door looking for you either.”

“You will receive your money. Leave Charlie be.” Victor voiced while he pushed his way further into the bathroom past Vinh and sat on the toilet next to Charlie.

“And what the hell does that mean?” Vinh scowled. “I don’t give a shit about some damn rent money over Charlie’s well-being. I was just—”

“Vinh,” Charlie muttered, “don’t.”

“Don’t what?” She turned back to Victor. “What is it old man? You got something to say to me?” She stood toe-to-toe with him. “You think I care more about some chump coffee money over my own family?” Victor didn’t move from toilet but his eyes never left Vinh’s.

“Please Vinh,” Gabi interjected. “Come with me.” Vinh hated that she had to be the one to back down from the fight but she relented and followed Gabi out.

“Who the fuck does he think he is? The shit I went through with Charlie—here in Bucharest alone and this is the way I’m treated,” Vinh vented. “I just want him to be safe and financially stable. Why does that make me the bad guy?”

“Don’t mind my father.” Gabi appealed before she sparked up a cigarette. This time she didn’t offer a puff to Vinh while they shared a seat on the front door’s steps. “Ever since he met Charlie he’s thought of him as a son in a way he never did with Nigel. Or any other man I have brought home. He accepts him.”

“Well compared to Nigel a skunk is more acceptable.” Gabi laughed at Vinh’s quip but she didn’t disagree.

“My father said what he did because he wants Charlie to move in with us.”

“What? That’s a little fast don’t you think?”

“At first, yes I did. But all those nights we have had dinner together here at the house or when he brings me home even after a long day on his feet at the cafe. The way he looks at me as if I’m the greatest thing _and_ Pa likes him. What more could I ask for?”

Vinh shook her head at their foolishness. Her crazy, not-even-ex-husband just beat the shit out of Charlie only a few hours ago, has possibly been stalking them for as long as they have been together, and still has a key to her apartment because changing the locks would cost Vinh her safety deposit. Yet, the couple along with the approval from Gabi’s father wanted to move full steam ahead with moving in together and push Nigel out.

_Yeah, that’ll go well._

“That still doesn’t explain Victor’s stank attitude towards me.”

“Like I said, don’t mind him,” Gabi waved off. “He believes if you’re hosting family they shouldn’t have to lift a finger while staying in your home.”

“Bullshit. That’s for visitors not permanent residents.”

“It’s all the same to him, unfortunately.”

“But seriously, Gabi. Are you sure this is a good idea, Charlie staying here with you and your dad? Nigel is a nutcase and he won’t be too happy when he finds out how serious you two are.”

“Charlie told me about the break in, Vinh.” Gabi replied with a puff of smoke, “I’m sorry about that. Nigel’s terrifying and now he has a key. You have enough to deal with. You don’t need to worry about Charlie too. We’ll take care of him.”

Vinh didn’t fight the decision with neither Charlie nor Victor when she left. Charlie was alive. He had a secure job (for the most part) and a roof over his head. Vinh’s job was done. Something was off about this love triangle but Vinh couldn’t put her finger on it so she let it go for now. The next issue on her list was her bloodied bathroom and hand towels that psycho left behind at her apartment.

Back on her floor, Vinh’s nose was immediately hit with a familiar smell of tobacco coming from her apartment. She dreaded for what she knew waited for her on the other side of the door. She hoped whomever it was didn’t have a gun in their hand pointed at her.

“Please be a raging fire burning all my worldly possessions so I can move in and be one of Victor’s trust babies too.” Vinh whined in the hallway before opening the door.

“There you are, gorgeous. I almost had to get up and come look for you myself.” At her bar with a cigarette in between his fingers, a full ashtray on the counter and the balcony door wide open sat Nigel. “What’s for dinner?”

“It’s at the store,” Vinh groaned. “After what you did to Charlie, I’m not in the mood to cook.”

“Are you saying you don’t like my handiwork, darling?” Nigel praised himself, holding his knuckles up to view. “And not a scratch on me, that’s how it’s done.”

“No, Nigel. I’m saying _please_ get the fuck out.” Vinh demanded after she slammed her balcony door shut. “Charlie’s not coming back. Your precious Gabi made sure of that.”

That comment got his attention. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“ _Shit!”_ She stepped in it now. “I think I am hungry,” she backtracked. “How does a curry sound?”

Nigel beat her to the door, grabbing Vinh by her waist and yanking her back from the doorknob. She gave the good fight but Nigel was a foot taller and fifty pounds heavier. After he wrestled her to the floor and pinned her wrists down, it was over.

“What did she do? Fucking tell me now!”

“He’s not coming back, Nigel!” Vinh yelled out, panting underneath him. “Victor’s pissed off and keeping Charlie close to the chest. I wouldn’t be surprised if Charlie transfers to a cafe closer to his house so Victor can see him from his bedroom window.”

“La naiba!” Nigel leapt off of Vinh and the paced the length of her living room. Vinh scooted back, away from Nigel’s long strides, fearing he might stomp on her like a cockroach. Soon after, the smashing started. First, any discarded glasses left on the bar including Nigel’s ashtray launched across the room. Books from her bookcase and then the actual bookcase, a lamp and with nothing left to break, Nigel started punching holes in the wall.

“Nigel, stop! Please stop!” Vinh cried out but rage clogged his ears as his fists of fury pulverized her thin walls. Vinh removed herself all together, scurrying into her bedroom and slammed the door shut. She hid in her closet, covering her ears until Nigel tired himself out and finally left. Calling the cops would only infuriate him more and she prayed her neighbors thought the same.

“You’ll change the locks yourself tomorrow,” Vinh ordered herself. “Warn Charlie, warn Gabi, warn Victor.” She chanted the words to herself until the commotion eventually died down. No more glass shattering, or heavy furniture being thrown across the room like rag dolls. Not long after, Vinh heard the front door slam and assumed Nigel was finally gone. But she didn’t take any chances. She dragged her dresser from the wall and barricaded herself in her room for the rest of the night. He would come back. She just knew he would. He did have a key after all. 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie discovers the worst about Nigel. Nigel loses his Gabi. And Vinh just wants her boring life back. Unfortunately for her, Nigel is just getting started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine. 
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

Shit was everywhere when Vinh emerged from her room. Shards of glass here, splintered wood there and specks of wall plaster every which way. She didn’t have to assess the damage to know she definitely wasn’t getting her safety deposit back now. Her apartment was salvageable but anything Nigel could lift and tear apart with his bare hands wasn’t.

Vinh’s purse and its contents were on the opposite end of the apartment than where she abandoned it. After sifting through the mess, she sighed in relief when she found her cellphone and money were still in her possession.

“Thank God for small favors.” She noticed the slew of text messages and calls. Some were from Charlie, others weren’t. Vinh wondered if something else happened while Nigel destroyed her apartment or after he left. One after the other, Vinh read the texts from around the time she left Victor’s after her chat with Gabi. First, Charlie apologizing for Victor’s behavior and that he never wanted to leave her like this. Then, a round of messages of how he felt about Gabi and how they felt this was the best decision if they really wanted to be together. He tried calling but with Nigel the bull running fists first around her small apartment, Vinh couldn’t exactly answer Charlie’s calls. Vinh didn’t know what time Nigel finally left her place but she wasn’t surprised when Charlie sent a video of Nigel making another unwelcome visit at Gabi and Victor’s home. The camera faced up towards the ceiling, obscuring her view but she recognized the voices.

“Leave Gabi the fuck alone you shitbag!” Charlie demanded. “She wants nothing to do with you.”

“Fuck you, you fucking American piece of shit! She’s my wife!”

“Nigel, please leave.”

“Leave my ficia alone, bou. What did I tell you once before?” Victor warned.

“Gabi, please sotie, te ibesuc.”

“You’re always covered in blood and cocaine and whores every night,” Gabi cried. “You smother me and never allow me freedom. I can’t have friends because of you. No one will talk to me. I do not want your kind of ‘love’.”

“And him? He is what you want? He cannot satisfy you like I do sotie. The love we have is real and passionate.”

Vinh frowned at the tenses Nigel used. “‘Have’, ‘Do’ are all present, not past.”

“There’s nothing real about you or this marriage, dipshit!” Charlie countered. “It ran its course. Now get the fuck out!”

“You and I are not done here, Charlie boy.” Nigel seethed but backed down when he realized Gabi wouldn’t relent. When his car engine roared outside, Charlie insisted they wait up in case Nigel came back. Someone was crying, more than likely Gabi as Victor soothed her in Romanian.

“Come with me, Charlie.” Victor whispered to Charlie, close enough for the camera to pick up. “Allow me to show you something.” Charlie looked down at the camera and then it stopped recording.

“Whoa,” Vinh sighed, “rough night for everyone.” Once Vinh called Charlie and he assured her everything was okay at the house but they would talk again later, she went on her way to work.

“Oh, you have got to be shitting me right now!” Vinh’s car was missing from the parking lot where Nigel initially left it. “Great, now I have a mobster driving around in my car, collecting drug money and possibly killing people.” Vinh complained to herself. “Fuck it, I don’t need it. Nigel can have that piece of junk car. It was a luxury anyway.”

The end of the spring semester was coming sooner this year than Vinh remembered from the years before. Unlike her coworkers who were excited to get a jumpstart on summer, Vinh felt the complete opposite. Even with a savings and some of Charlie’s money she didn’t think that would be enough to compensate the difference the marijuana would have made up had Darko not ordered Nigel to take it from her. Plus, the damages to her apartment, Vinh would be surprised if she broke even. She would have to search for a new roommate.

_No. Change locks first then roommate._

“hey just saw ur ad. u can have Karl. hes sucking a lil 2 hard on my balls lately.”

Luc’s suggestion grossed Vinh out but she wouldn’t let his occasional grotesque behavior upset her. She was dealing with enough today.

“be a good friend. don’t ditch him like that.” She replied instead.

“or i can just leave him here n move in w u ;)”

“Ugh no!”

Vinh placed an ad for a new roommate up online three days before the spring term ended. She’d hoped for another woman who worked a steady job (obviously), no kids or pets (although she would love one but the building didn’t allow them), smokers were tolerable, graduate students acceptable. Graduates knew better than to party at all hours of the night but were young to know how to have a good time.

Charlie messaged her about it too, a bit worried for her safety. The idea of Vinh living with strangers freaked him out.

“Oh, you’re so full of shit, Charlie. You practically have a bounty on your head. You can only go out and about during the day and it has to be crowded for your new daddy to let you out the house and you’re worried about me. Yeah, that’s rich.”

“Alright, alright, you done busting my balls?” Charlie griped. “So what I care about you? Why is that so hard to believe?”

“You ditched me to go live it up with your sugar daddy/father-in-law and left me with this monkey—no big ass gorilla named Nigel on my back. So excuse me for being pissed.”

The line went silent before she spoke up again. “I’m fucking with you, Charles. Don’t go chicken on me now.”

“No, no it’s not that,” he finally replied. “It’s Nigel and the reason why he hasn’t gone full berserker on any of us lately.”

“Speak for yourself. If what he did to my apartment isn’t ‘full berserker’ then what the fuck is?”

“Do you have time today to meet up? Not here but, like, the park or something. We need to talk.”

“What is it? What’s happened? Did Nigel pop up again?”

“No, but I’ll tell you when I see you,” he added. “I‘ll come get you after Victor’s gone down for his afternoon nap. Gabi should be gone off to work by then.”

They ended their call once they agreed to a time and place. Vinh fidgeted with her fingers in her lap while sitting on the couch. Then, she changed her clothes a number of times before she settled on an outfit. If that wasn’t enough, she started moving and replacing random objects in her apartment to keep herself occupied. Questions and different scenarios about what Charlie could possibly want to discuss that he couldn’t do so over the phone freaked Vinh out.

_Did Gabi end it with Charlie? Is Victor overbearing? Is money getting tight? Is Nigel no longer scared of Victor and whatever threat he holds over him?_

Vinh picked a park she knew would be full with families and nosey people that would keep an eye out for anyone out of place; someone like Nigel. They grabbed lunch from a nearby vendor before they nabbed a free bench to sit and talk.

“So, what’s up? What’s with all the secrecy?”

Charlie gathered his thoughts together before answering. He never did that. It was all spontaneity and ‘go with the flow’ with this guy.

“You know that video I sent you about Nigel harassing us at the house?” Vinh nodded and he went on. “Afterwards, Victor showed me something. It’s the real reason why he has Nigel by the balls when it comes to Gabi.”

“What was it?”

“Security footage,” he answered. “I don’t know how he got it but NIgel killed a bunch a people at some restaurant a while back, he and Darko. I didn’t see the date on it but I bet everything it was between the times he and Gabi first got together and when she finally left him.”

Vinh sat gob smacked, ignoring the rest of her sandwich in front of her. She knew Nigel was—is a bad guy. She figured he killed at least one person. He definitely beat the crap out of a lot more but an entire restaurant.

“Witnesses?”

Charlie shook his head. “Just the security footage. I don’t know how Victor got it and not the cops. They were probably paid off.”

“Is Gabi worth it, worth all this trouble?”

“Of course she is,” Charlie pulled back from Vinh, surprised. “How can you even ask me some shit like that after everything that’s happened?”

“After everything that’s happened I thought you’d get it through your thick head that Gabi is not worth dying over.” Vinh ticked off her reasons one finger after the other. “You’ve been interrogated by a drug lord while high out of your mind, beaten within an inch of your life and nearly lost your job because of it, and you can’t move during the day like some cockroach hiding behind the fridge. And that’s just the shit that happened to you.”

“You know what?” Charlie stood up, defiantly over Vinh. “I’m starting to think Victor was right about you. You’re only worried about yourself and how all this affects you, not me.”

“Oh fuck you, you little brat bitch! I’ve done nothing but look out for you this entire time you’ve been here. And so what if I’m looking out for myself too? You’re not the only one in this, Charlie. You’re not the only person they’re going to hunt down when shit finally hits the fan on this one. If Darko and Nigel know about me they know about Luc and Karl. You’re co-workers, their patterns in and out of work like I’m pretty sure Nigel knew about with Gabi and her schedule. Think man, think!”

Charlie bit his lower lip and balled up his fists but he didn’t argue with Vinh’s reasoning. He just did what he knew best. What he damn well pleased with no regards to the consequences. Vinh cringed as the residue from her own past behavior similar to Charlie’s washed over her. He was running just like she did and it killed her.

Marching away further and further from Vinh, he completely ignored her cries to stop, got back into Gabi’s car and left Vinh behind. Now stranded far away from home with only enough cash for a cab ride to the subway, Vinh began her long trek back home.

Her feet barely touched the busy sidewalk before a driver honked their horn obnoxiously loud and then stopped beside her. Although startled by the sudden noise, Vinh had every intention of ignoring the pick-up truck altogether before she recognized the driver.

“Going my way, gorgeous?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is complete. Check back every Tuesday or simply subscribe for post email notifications.
> 
> Thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vinh got more than she bargained for when Nigel drags her along on a "drop-off". Then, everything goes to shit. Also known as a typical day for those two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine. 
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

_Do I really have a choice?_

Vinh thought about running in the opposite direction; give Nigel chase. But was it worth it? She would just make matters worse for everyone involved in this shit show. Drivers impatiently honked their horns since Nigel’s pickup blocked the road and hollered for Vinh to hurry and get in. Peer pressure won over so she joined Nigel inside the truck. An unexpected surprise occupying the front passenger seat spooked Vinh, causing her to jump up and bump her head in the truck’s roof—Nigel’s gun. He casually placed it on his lap after scaring her with it.

“Good choice.” Nigel smirked with a lit cigarette between his lips. Vinh flinched and stiffened every time Nigel changed hands from the steering wheel to steading the gun in his lap, praying to God it didn’t go off after every pothole or bump he hit. After a several miles away from the park, Vinh finally got the courage to speak up.

“What do you want, Nigel?”

He inhaled a few puffs, really took his time enjoying his smoke before he answered. “What is it about Charlie boy you women like so much?”

“Huh?”

“Gabi always complains I don’t listen to her or respect her choices. Bullshit like that. I just can’t wrap my head around it. I know damn well he can’t fuck like me so he can’t be that great in the sack.”

“He’s…” Vinh held her tongue before she said something she would regret. Nigel couldn’t know she and Charlie were related. She bet, after her own personal interactions with him, Nigel would use their relationship as leverage against the both of them.

Vinh could feel Nigel’s eyes zoning in on her instead of the road. She spat the quickest lie she could think of. “I’m his mentor at the school. He’s enrolled at the university near Old Town where I work.”

“Funny,” he replied before he chucked his cigarette out the window and huffed out the remaining smoke, “because I’ve never seen him up there other than when he comes to see you.”

“He, he _was_ enrolled there,” Vinh added sheepishly. “I’ve been trying to get him to come back. At least, complete one term before leaving all together. He made up his mind after you beat the shit out of him. Now, he’s sitting comfy in Victor’s high tower safely tucked away from the deadly dragon.”

“Dragon, am I?” He smirked, “I like it.”

“Are you satisfied now? Can you let me out?” Suddenly, the truck’s flatbed violently shook.

“Whoa, what the hell was that?” Vinh looked out the window for the suspected pothole or naive squirrel that ran out into the road Nigel hit.

He answered with an immediate right turn that nearly threw Vinh into Nigel’s lap if not for her seat belt. He hooked another left into oncoming traffic and the proceeded to run two red lights.

“Ugh, Nigel. What the hell!”

“Shut up and be useful.” He dug a phone out of his back pocket and tossed it to Vinh, “text the first number ‘package ready’,” he ordered before he cocked his gun, put it back on his lap and then busted a U-turn back the way they came. “Take the SIM card out and then ditch the phone.”

Vinh did as she was told. After sometime, she noticed they were headed in the same direction as Darko’s club. It freaked her out a bit that Nigel was dragging her somewhere she was explicitly told never to return to. But she didn’t plan to stay long after he stopped. Vinh planned on ditching Nigel as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Closer to home now, all she needed was a ten minute cab ride back to freedom.

After recognizing the streets not too far from her apartment, Vinh contemplated sprinting there. But Nigel put a damper in her plans when he gripped his pistol tighter. He noticed where they were too. The further he drove away from Old Town, from the crowds and Vinh’s apartment his grip on the gun relaxed. Besides, if a bullet in her head didn’t kill her, Nigel’s reckless driving would. She didn’t want to lose two layers of skin or break anything on this particular evening, never preferably.

“Nigel,” Vinh gulped, “where are you taking me? What package do you have?” Predictably, he didn’t answer. She tried to see what lied on the flatbed but she couldn’t get a good look without alerting Nigel. He didn’t want her to know for a reason. Another half-hour passed before Nigel finally pulled over onto a dirt road leading to an abandoned barn surrounded by high weeds and dry bushes. They were met by another car already onsite. Vinh wasn’t familiar with the area but she re-evaluated her plan to make a run for it.

Nigel pointed a stern, calloused finger at her. “Stay put,” he simply ordered Vinh as he got out and greeted the other driver.

“Freaking, Darko,” she groaned when she spotted him. “Of course, it is.” He was out of his usual suit jacket and slacks, favoring loose fitting sweats and tennis shoes. Nigel stuffed his gun into the back of his jeans before he and his partner exchanged brotherly hugs. Vinh slinked down in her seat out of Darko’s line of sight but kept an ear out for what they were saying and doing at the back of the truck.

She had no such luck hearing anything useful since they rapidly spoke Romanian and every other word she actually knew was a swear. More like, Nigel’s every other word. After more cursing and arguing between the two, the flatbed rattled again. This time Vinh popped her head up and watched in the rearview mirror as Nigel unloaded several rounds on whatever was wiggling around in front of them. Darko ran to the barn and shoved the wooden doors aside while Nigel dragged a rolled up rug into the barn. One that was duct taped together with ankles sticking out from one end.

“Holy shit, that’s a person!” Vinh gasped aloud after the men disappeared into the barn. That was her breaking point. She couldn’t wait around for Nigel and Darko decide whether or not to kill her too. They’d have to catch her first. In one swift motion, Vinh hopped out the pick-up, and raced back up the dirt road undetected but the sudden sound of disturbed gravel forced her out of sight into the bushes. When a black SUV slowly rolled down towards the barn, she darted out from her hiding spot and waved them down.

“Hey! Can I get a ride back into town?” Many people in Bucharest knew English. They definitely did in Old Town but from time to time deep scowls and confused head shakes reminded Vinh not everyone knew the language.

“Help! Lost!” She hoped they knew those simple phrases. They’re one of the words you keep stored in your memory bank when learning a new language. Vinh definitely did; along with ‘bathroom’ and ‘police’. However, from the looks on their sour faces and guns aimed at her, help was not something they were willing to offer. Vinh shrieked at the first shot that flew passed her head, she ducked down, quickly taking cover back towards Nigel’s pickup.

“Fucking hell!” Both Nigel and Darko shouted when they saw the company Vinh brought back with her. Unknown hands shoved her out of the way as a shootout ensued. Not long after, the rapid _PING! PING!_ echo of bullets hitting the pickup, the SUV and the barn ended. Elbows and knees tucked into a ball, Vinh gave the dust time to settle before she finally unclenched herself from the fetal position. She listened for movement from her position, in the bushes, beside the pickup truck. Shouting echoed from inside the abandoned shelter from someone Vinh instantly recognized.

“Nigel! Nigel, nenorocitule, answer me!”

“If Darko’s inside, Nigel must be out here.” Vinh pondered as she crawled to the other side of the pickup, towards the flatbed. Peeking around its backend, Vinh finally spotted Nigel slumped over on his left side against the barn inches from safety inside. When the coast was clear (and one of the gunmen lying dead in the dirt road face down), Vinh hurried to his side.

“Holy shit, Nigel what the fuck was that about? Where did those guys come from?” Vinh asked the nefarious man as she assisted him upright. He hissed in pain before Darko came running out from inside the barn.

“There you are, fucker. Don’t scare me like that.” He looked over Nigel’s wounds and then finally acknowledged Vinh. “And what the fuck are you doing here?”

Vinh threw her hands up in surrender. “He dragged me here, Darko!”

He frowned at his partner. “You just can’t leave well enough alone can you? Gabi’s not worth it.”

“Fuck you, scroafa and help me up.” Darko shook his head disapprovingly but hefted his friend up anyway. Vinh attempted to guide them to the pickup but Darko directed them to the SUV instead.

“We’re taking their shit, Vinnie.” Darko ordered her to sit with Nigel while he disposed of everything.

“Nigel, tell me how to help.” Vinh worried as she applied pressure to his thigh. “You’re losing a lot of blood.”

“Not much you can do, gorgeous.” Nigel groaned, holding his side. “Not unless you became a doctor in the last hour,” he joked. From what Vinh remembered from the university’s CPR training, she continued to apply pressure and talked Nigel to the point of annoyance to keep him conscious.

“I hope I die just so I won’t have to hear you nag the fuck out of me anymore.”

Darko worked like a madman disposing of the vehicles and lifeless body into the barn before he rejoined the pair back in the SUV to leave.

“So, are we just leaving them here for someone to find or…” Vinh’s question died on her lips when she smelled gasoline linger into the truck after Darko got in. “Darko weren’t there two guys? Where’s the other?”

“Where do you think?”

Vinh just caught a glimpse of the closed barn before the Darko reversed the SUV into a cloud of dust, and then violently swerved it back onto the main road. Soon after, the blast from the barn shook the SUV and other cars alike within a mile of it. On their way back to town, Darko made a pit stop and injected Nigel with something he claimed would calm his heart rate down and keep him still. Instantly, Nigel quit fidgeting and his breathing steadied while Darko checked his wounds.

“The bullet went through the fat and didn’t hit anything,” he stated. “The fucker will live.”

“But all this blood,” Vinh pleaded. “He needs a doctor.”

“Of course there’s blood. He was shot,” Darko panned. “His side is a flesh wound so Nigel won’t need surgery. Some stitches and a bottle of rum and he will back to terrorize you once again.”

“I can’t do it,” Nigel slurred. “The last one got infected.”

“Me neither. You nag too much,” Darko added. “That leaves you, Vinnie.”

“What? No! I’ve never given anyone stitches before.”

“Well, now it’s time to put that degree to use University Girl.”

_How the hell am I supposed to do this? Darko must be just as insane as Nigel. No wonder they work well together. There’s got to be a way around this. I can get a ‘bootleg’ version of anything in this city. Under-the-table stitches and surgery has to be on somebody’s résumé._

Vinh was so caught up in her own concerns, Darko had to snap his fingers at her several times before he finally got through to her.

“Help me with this fucker,” he snapped at her. “He’s even more of a dead weight than usual.”

“Come...on...Vinnie,” Nigel gurgled out over his drool and spit bubbles.

After Vinh got a sturdy grip on Nigel and steadied herself enough to haul him inside her apartment building, she waited for help from Darko.

“Are you going to move this then come back and help me?” She pondered as she checked to make sure no one paid them any mind. “You can’t leave this turck here. The neighbors were nice enough not to report Nigel’s last visit but they’ll definitely take heed to the truck full of bullet holes.”

“Good thing I’m not staying.” Darko openly stated when he went to get back into the truck. “Take him with you. I’ll be back later.”

“Oh my God, Darko! If you’re going to force him on me the least you can do is help me carry his heavy ass up the steps. The elevator is still broken.

“Vinh just fucking take him so I can ditch the car. The sooner I do, the sooner you can get started and we’ll be out of each other’s hair. Now,” Darko gritted at her, “take him inside.”

“You...can...do...it.” His breath was shallow but at least Nigel’s words were spit free this time. Vinh groaned at his pathetic encouragement but she would need it for this long trip up to her floor.

“I’m filing a complaint about the elevator first thing tomorrow morning.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who else hates sharing their space with other people? It's uncomfortable and a bit invasive, IMO. With Nigel and Vinh it takes every fiber of self-control between two control freaks not to kill the other. 
> 
> We're now at the halfway mark! These two dorks are now at that stage in their relationship where it gets worse before it gets better. But it does get better, just hang in there with me people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine. 
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

“Nigel, I already told you this yesterday and the day before. And I’ll keep telling you until you get it through that thick head of yours,” Vinh recited. “Darko entrusted me to help you until you heal. As long as you’re here, I have to look after you. Now, let me check your stitches.”

Nigel snatched Vinh’s heavy duty first-aid kit and his illegally prescribed pain medications from her. “Don’t fucking touch me! I can look after myself.”

That minimal action alone proved too taxing for the stubborn gangster. After his morning shower, he normally would lay around the apartment all day with the exception of bathroom breaks. He even attempted to go in a water bottle one time but Vinh immediately nipped that in the bud. His back favored the bathroom door for support before his legs dropped him onto the bathroom carpet while he struggled to read the various medication labels with the original names ripped off. He tossed the kit onto the floor tile, less worried about treating his wounds and more concerned trying to numb the pain before it overwhelmed him.

“The last time you treated yourself, your stitches got infected, remember?” Vinh summarized from what Nigel slurred to her after the shoot out a couple of days prior. “You’re not going to lose a limb or overdose in my apartment under my watch. Now,” with a firm grip on the pills back in her possession, Vinh forced the woozy Nigel down onto the toilet seat lid, “sit the fuck down and sit still. And if you’re a good boy, I’ll give you your antibiotics and sleepy pills.” He didn’t fight her. He couldn’t. He desired sleep not another headache.

_Seriously, it’s only been two days and I’m already regretting not dumping this fool off at the hospital and making a run for it._

But Vinh knew better. Nigel would either die out there on the sidewalk or the cops would come poking their heads around, asking questions about how ended up in the hospital to begin with and the severity of his injuries. In reality, Nigel would eventually heal and be pissed at her desertion. So would Darko. And then they would link up all their resources to go out and search for Vinh.

“Nope,” she warned herself. “Deal with him now and escape with your life instead of looking over your shoulder for the rest of it.”

“And a beer,” Nigel managed to mumble out to Vinh.

“No. No beer, Nigel. It’ll interfere with your antibiotics.” He finally surrendered to Vinh’s will, slouching back on the toilet and rested his head against the wall behind it. Cleaning and redressing Nigel’s thigh stitches were easy enough. From what she learned on Google, she didn’t have to do much as long as Nigel kept off it, got lots of sleep, fluids and his medication Darko brought back with him after he ditched the bullet-riddled SUV. After completely the worst of it, now came the time to take the snoozing dragon back to bed.

Nigel wasn’t totally out-of-it yet despite how he looked. In the short distance back to Charlie’s room, he actually used his legs this time so VInh didn’t have to drag him like she normally did back to bed. As soon as Nigel felt the soft comforter fabric brush against his hairy legs, his arms released Vinh and he voluntarily fell into the firm mattress.

“See how easy that was, Nigel?” Vinh giggled while lifting his legs onto the bed he left dangling off the edge. “We could have been done sooner had you not been such an ass about getting cleaned up again.” Without as much as a groan in response, Vinh assumed Nigel was out for the count then. She went to retrieve a glass of water and his meds for when he woke back up again but when she returned he was turned over on his stomach.

“Nigel, you have to keep off—”

That’s when Vinh saw them. She gasped at the magnitude of the amount of cuts and welts that littered Nigel’s exposed flesh. Vinh was so focused on her sole task on his thigh she never paid the rest of his body any mind. With him now extremely vulnerable, shirtless and in his shorts, she didn’t think Nigel would appreciate it if she analyzed his half-naked body while he slept. However, against her better judgement, Vinh followed the trail of patches of wounded and discolored, hairless skin.

“Are those cigarette burns?” Vinh examined closer on the back of his knees and calves. Just when Vinh thought she should give it a rest with playing doctor for the day, she soon discovered _the_ wound. The one she figured was the _one that got infected_. This wound stretched along his ribcage and faded onto his abdomen; jaded and deep from the sight of the permanent contusion an infection was the last thing Nigel needed to be concerned about.

“You must’ve been cracked out of your mind when you did this. What were you thinking?” Vinh critiqued to no one. Or so she thought.

“What was that?” Vinh’s eyes widened when Nigel’s voice surprisingly croaked at her with his mouth still stuffed in the pillow.

“Nothing,” Vinh quickly answered, forgoing her routine of covering him with the comforter and readied herself out of the room.

“I’m sober now,” Nigel stated as the bed springs creaked from under his weight. “Do you think your stitches will get infected when I sew your mouth shut?”

“I was just making an observation, Nigel. Save your threats for another day.” Vinh rushed out the room away from Nigel’s growing anger, busying herself with cleaning up the rest of his mess in the bathroom. She could withstand his insults and the yelling from the bed where he lied but his ego overpowered his discomfort then.

“Don’t run away now, Vinnie,” he berated as he limped in after her. “That’s your problem. It is now as much as it was then. You stick your nose in business where it doesn’t belong. And then when it gets hot, you run away.”

“I did what I had to do to survive. To keep my life as my own,” she rebutted, shoveling all of Nigel’s dirty clothes in a bag to be burned later as instructed by Darko in exchange for new ones. “I got out of the drug game because I _didn’t_ want to be Darko’s drug mule,” she clarified. “I try not to mind anyone’s business but my own; your business, Darko’s business or Charlie’s business.”

They shared in a brief pause at the mention of the trouble-maker. Then Vinh changed courses.

“I just wanted to know how you got the wound on your side; all of your wounds, actually. I mean, I know you got into your share of fights from what I’ve heard about you. And then Gabi mentioned that one specifically,” she pointed to his side, “but to actually see it. I mean...” Vinh exhaled for the first time after rattling on. “Wow, Nigel! Infected is an understatement, but that’s beside the point.”

Nigel started rubbing his temples and leaned against the bathroom door frame again. Clearly Vinh was worsening his annoyance with her instead of pacifying it.

“What is your point, Vinh?”

“I’m sorry, Nigel,” she proclaimed. “My mouth got ahead of me. I didn’t mean to offend you. I didn’t even think you could hear me.”

Nigel relaxed his shoulders and unclenched his teeth at her admission. He caught a hold of the door knob before he slumped further towards the floor, rolled off the frame, and then ventured back to bed.

“Another story for another day.”

Vinh stood stock still and numb in front of the bathroom sink, peering at the empty doorway. Her ears felt like they were filled with water and they ringing like they were about to pop. Unaware of how long she had stood there or why she remained in the bathroom for so long, Vinh abandoned whatever tasks she originally set upon and shuffled off into her room.

She couldn't help but glance over to Charlie’s room—now Nigel’s. The door was closed. For some reason, that detail allowed her heart to slow and her lungs accept air again. Back in her room, she discovered the ringing wasn’t just from her sudden panic attack but also her phone call. Vinh missed a number of calls, none from Charlie or an unknown number Darko usually called from. But a number Vinh definitely recognized. One she wasn’t prepared or willing to call back anytime soon.

“What the fuck do you mean I’m stuck here?” Nigel yelled into his new cellphone. This made Vinh’s ears perk up, drawing her attention from tending to her plants.

Vinh normally ignored what she could when Nigel had his one-sided screaming matches out in the living room. The only times she ever left her room was to use the bathroom, eat and monitor her plants. She could gauge if Nigel was up and what he was doing based on how much noise he made when he limped around her apartment. Sometimes she went for early morning walks for some fresh air but by that time Nigel remained dead asleep. She minded her business and ignored his but not today.

Vinh marched out from her room and met Nigel sitting on the couch.

“And what the fuck do you want?” He asked with a cigarette expertly balanced between his lips. The sight of his mess on her once cleaned table, Vinh could hardly contain her screams. She didn’t know what to be more upset about. His indoor smoking (after she asked him several times not to), the amount of dishes he managed to use in a single day or the shitload of beer cans and cigarette ashes that littered her coffee table. Not to mention, the constant yelling.

“What do you mean you’re stuck here?” Vinh repeated back to Nigel.

“Don’t worry, princess,” he answered in a cloud of smoke. “Darko and I are straightening this out now. I don’t want to be here any longer just as much as you do.”

“Oh no,” Vinh said drily. “We wouldn’t want that now would we?” Vinh had to do something with her hands before she went on a rampage and shared the same fate of those men in the barn. First, she started with the kitchen. Vinh moved like a well-oiled, well programmed machine cleaning the dishes, wiping down her countertops, sweeping the floor and then vacuuming the carpet afterwards. With a hefty duty trash bag in hand, Vinh ran on autopilot after kicking Nigel’s legs off her coffee table and cleared everything off in one arm swoop regardless of what was there.

“Aye, what the fuck do you think you fucking bitch?” Nigel shouted at the small woman moving fiercely without paying any mind to his nasty words. He followed her outside to the balcony while he continued to berate her. Caught up in his insults and ongoing conversation with Darko, Vinh simultaneously dropped the garbage bag, kneed Nigel in the stomach and then punched him in his freshly stitched thigh wound before his cell phone cracked on the ground.

She panted down at the groaning gangster after her surprise attack. When she caught her breath, she picked up the trash again and his cellphone.

“Nigel, Nigel, are you there? What happened?” Darko called out through the receiver.

“Tell your second in command he needs to lay off the booze,” Vinh answered. “He’s getting sloppy.” And with that, Vinh ended the call, pocketed the phone and returned her attention back to Nigel. “This is where you smoke from here-on-out. Get comfy. And don’t put your cigarettes out in my plants.” Vinh then locked Nigel out on the balcony, closed the blinds and got back to cleaning.

Four days had passed before Nigel said another word to Vinh. When she allowed him back into the house he snarled at her, limped into his room and stayed there until that night to use the restroom. She smelled cigarette smoke again in the apartment but when she ran to catch him in the act, he was leaning against the railing with his middle finger up at her.

Vinh rolled her eyes at him. “He must have left and got another lighter and packs of cigarettes,” she imagined. With nothing to complain about, Vinh simply returned back to her room. But quickly thereafter, repeated crashes that sounded like glass breaking made her run back outside. Out on the balcony, Vinh caught Nigel leisurely tossing all her beloved plants over the railing onto the street.

“No, no, no! What the fuck, Nigel!?” Vinh had been growing her various cacti and Aloe Vera plants since she started studying and subsequently moving here in Bucharest six years ago. They reminded her of better times in her life; simpler times. She viewed it like pressing the restart button. Now it all came crashing down; their pots cracked apart in pieces, their compacted and treated soil spilled all over the concrete.

Vinh crumbled to the balcony floor. “You fucking bastard!”

“And don’t you forget it,” he snarled. “Now we’re even. Try that shit again and it will be you over that fucking rail, cunt.” He spat at her feet and left her out on the balcony like she did him days before. He didn’t lock her out although he didn’t need to. Granting her a small mercy, Nigel did leave one plant behind. Vinh could smell the urine soaked into the soil from her seat on the warm, solid concrete slab. More than likely, Nigel’s first ‘fuck you’ to Vinh before he got the better idea to toss them all over instead. But Vinh still clung to the cactus as her last lifeline of sanity.

_Just hold on until he’s gone and you’ll get your life back. Just hold on. Fuck Nigel, Darko, that fucking saint Victor and that bitch Gabi. And fuck Charlie, too. You can do this. You can do this!_

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Vinh comes from one roommate to another. Great...just great. She tries to make the best of this crappy living situation and Nigel...well, he's Nigel so there's that. 
> 
> *Throws up hands and shrugs shoulders*
> 
> You gotta love him though. Well, not in this chapter. Oh! And a surprise guest drops pass.
> 
> **homophobic language is used in this chapter**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine. 
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

Another week had passed since the _incident_ and Nigel eventually stopped limping. He subtly did from time-to-time but he had a better grip on his balance on his own two feet versus dragging himself along the walls when he tried to use the bathroom. He even started taking his phone calls with Darko _and_ smoking outside. That surprised Vinh. She didn’t think he would heed her warning but continue being a loud, obnoxious asshole just because he could.

“Nigel never listened to anyone before” she reasoned. “Why would he listen to me?”

They were stuck here together for the time being and as long as his behavior remained tolerable, Vinh managed to move on with her day. Her morning walks extended to days trips strolling around the city. They were mostly nature walks, observing different flowers in full bloom in the bushes and trees around the museums she visited. She even people-watched as the tourist season moved into full swing. As much as she enjoyed carelessly wandering around the city to fill her days, Vinh worried about what she would return to after leaving Nigel alone some days.

But then, she would shake the mood-killer from her head and continue on with her day as if he didn’t exist. On the other days, Vinh couldn’t get back home quick enough. She would feel a car creep up from behind her but come to find out, they were just looking for a parking space or picking someone up waiting by the curb. Men pacing too close beside her only to race pass her cautious pace. Vinh knew she was being watched; felt it even but couldn’t prove nor see whomever it was with eyes on her. To say Vinh sat with more tension than the trees she walked passed would be putting it lightly.

Paranoia eased its way into disturbing Vinh’s tranquil alone time. When Vinh returned home most days, a dreadful feeling stalked her on the elevator as she anticipated what was waiting for her on the other side of her door.

_He burned down your apartment from his cigarette smoking. Those thugs who tried to kill me, their gang found out what really happened, tracked Nigel down and another shootout ensued. Or worse, Charlie came home._

“And where the fuck have you been?” Nigel greeted her with same old cranky self. VInh actually welcomed it over the alternative.

“Hello to you too, Nigel.”

“You’re not at work. The school is closed for the summer. Where do you go all day?”

“I didn’t know you cared so much, Nigel.” She responded uninterested in his futile questioning. “Pining for my return each day? How cute.”

“Don’t get fucking smart. I’m bored and I’m starving.”

“What’s wrong with what I feed you?”

“I’m a grown ass man, Vinh. Chicken and fish don’t do shit for me.”

“Well then go out, get food and do something with yourself.”

“And how the fuck am I supposed to do that? Don’t you think if I could I would have left this hole-in-the-wall already? I can’t even order some shitty take away. Those fuckers might catch on to where I am and follow the fucking delivery guy in.”

“So, what, you want me to stay here with you and wait on you hand and foot until the coast is clear,” she snorted. “Yeah, I think the fuck not.”

“You’re a shit host is what you are,” Nigel complained. “You could have brought food back with you at least.”

“You could have called and said so,” Vinh argued. “You have my number. I figured you went through my phone at some point after you tore my apartment apart. Don’t deny it either!” He just shrugged off the accusation but he didn’t deny it. “Besides, I don’t have money like that to constantly buy food. I have enough for large meals that last for a week and then I buy more.”

“That sounds like a shit way to live.”

“Well, not all of us live like there’s no tomorrow. Most people actually want to live to see old age.”

Nigel laughed. “That sounds shitty too. What’s the point of life if you don’t live it. Too worried about what’s going to fucking happen instead of pushing through it. Life’s shit. If you’re lucky enough to make it to see another shitty day why not celebrate that victory like a fucking champ!”

“Well while you mull over your many accomplishments throughout your shitty life I’ll be in my room, Tony Robbins.”

“What are you doing, staring at the wall?” He complained again. “Because that’s what the fuck I’m doing all day. Get a fucking tv.”

The next morning, Nigel lied in his usual spot fast asleep on the couch. At first, he only slept on the couch out of spite when he and Vinh argued about another thing he did that she didn’t like. But after some time, Nigel slowly moved his sleeping arrangements out into Vinh’s living room instead of the room she designed for her two house guests that neither desired to sleep in.

She ventured through her morning routine with ease but something new poked out its rainbow colored face out in front of Vinh’s coffee machine—money. She only fanned through the wad of cash but from the looks of those high notes there was lots of it. Charlie only gave her a couple of hundred dollars during his brief stay. Nigel just offered thousands of dollars to compensate for his stay so far. All one-hundred dollar bills folded at the half. There was enough for the rest of the summer and to fix the damage he caused to her apartment. And lots left over for plenty of food.

Vinh glanced back over to the sleeping madman. “How long does he plan on staying?” She wondered before she fanned through the money a few more times, making sure she wasn’t going crazy. Underneath laid a note left by Nigel.

“ _Here's some cash from what we made from your little bit of weed and then some. Now you can stop bitching about your rent, my little fit and no food money. And look up better recipes that are more filling. This dragon likes to eat; and get beer too.”_

Vinh crumpled up the note and sighed at Nigel's nerve. This wasn’t up for discussion. But if this was all he wanted and nothing more, at least for the time being, who was she to complain. While she sat at her breakfast bar thinking over her coffee, Vinh considered what Nigel would like and dislike as she researched new recipes for her permanent house guest.

Later that afternoon, Vinh hefted a cart of groceries up to her apartment. Ever since Nigel’s generous monetary gift she’s been walking around with a pep in her step. The humidity didn’t frizz up her hair, there was a slight overcast blocking the sun from burning holes into her skin and she wore a cute outfit tons of people got to see.

_Win, win!_

Busy with her food haul, Vinh failed to notice someone standing in the apartment building doorway, waiting for her with the door open.

“Oh, thank you,” she said to the man then realized who it was. “Luc? What are you doing here? How did you get the front door open?”

Luc grinned happily at Vinh’s surprise. “I followed in after one of your neighbors. Not really strict around here about strangers, are they?”

“Clearly,” Vinh moaned. “Since you’re here, can you help me with these bags?” Luc was more than helpful, talking about his summer with Karl thus far and (for whatever reason) all the women they pulled while out clubbing. Vinh rolled her eyes at his egotistical exploits. On the day Vinh hoped the elevator worked and it actually did she would get trapped inside with yet another man who just didn’t get the hint to leave her be. This is why she preferred the stairs to the elevator. The damned thing didn’t move fast enough for her liking.

“So what made you stop pass, Luc?”

“I just wanted to see how you were doing,” he replied. “We don’t really hang out like we used to, even when she was in session. You know we don’t have to just hang out on the weekends or when school’s on break? Just because you don’t sell anymore with me doesn’t mean we can be real friends instead of convenient ones.”

“You know you could have just called,” she noted.

“Yeah, but I wanted to see you.”

_More like corner me in an elevator where I couldn’t run away from you._

Vinh attempted to placate him just long enough to make it into her apartment. “I thought we were friends, Luc. Besides, you know how I am. If I don’t have to leave, I won’t,” she lied. “Tourist season is up and running and I don’t like the crowds. You know how it is.”

“Oh, okay,” he nodded disappointed but he didn’t give up. “Well how about we go out sometime? During the week without the tourists crowding the place? I’ll ditch Karl and it will just be you and me.”

“I don’t know, Luc,” she answered struggling with her keys. “Let me think about it. I’ve been busy with restarting my garden after some of them died. Maybe—”

Suddenly, her front door was yanked open before she could flash the key fob over the security lock. Nigel stood in the doorway shirtless with his jeans slung low on his hips, pubic hair peeking out over the (thankfully fastened) zipper. Vinh quickly diverted her eyes from Nigel’s slim hips and back to Luc. The poor man’s face seared pink like a rare steak from the sight.

“It’s about damn time you showed up,” Nigel scowled. “I almost said ‘fuck it’ and ordered Chinese.”

When Luc’s brain restored itself back to normal, he tried to ask another question Vinh wasn’t too fond of either. “Hey, aren’t you—”

“Hey Luc, I’ll call you and we can meet up. I won’t disappear again, promise.” Vinh nudged Nigel back from the door, snatched the bags Luc held and shoved her cart inside the apartment just enough to close the door in Luc’s face.

“Who the fuck was it?” Nigel asked on his way back to the couch, leaving Vinh with the groceries. “Not another one of those university fags?”

“Don’t say that word, Nigel,” Vinh insisted, “it’s a nasty word. If you continue to say that word or use any other derogatory words in my presence I will give you your money back and we’ll starve.” She made her point by slamming all the chilled steaks and sausages onto the counter before putting them away in the fridge.

“And no, he doesn’t work for the school. We just…” Vinh hurried with a lie that wasn’t necessarily a lie but kept Nigel from asking more about Luc, “know each other from...the club scene. He just wanted to stop pass and say ‘hello’, nothing to get upset about. Why did you open the door anyway?”

Nigel ignored her question. “So he just popped in for a chat? Or at least he tried to?”

“I don’t know. I guess,” Vinh shrugged. “Look, I’m making steak and potatoes with mixed vegetables tonight. Is that up-to-par for you, Nigel?”

Venturing out onto the balcony for his habitual cigarette instead of arguing with Vinh’s dinner choice, she figured his interrogation about her personal life was over. It wasn’t. Not from that contemplative, intense stare he gave her before he started up again. So much for easing his noisiness.

“Would you have let him in if I wasn’t here to stop you?”

Vinh let the steaks reach room temperature when she started cutting the vegetables. “No, definitely not. But he’ll keep trying.”

“What are you a lesbo?”

Vinh barked out a laugh. “‘Lesbo’? Who says that?” she giggled. “No, and you’re pushing it with that word too.”

“You’re so sensitive.” He puffed again on his cigarette as he made himself comfortable with his elbows perched up on the railing. “Blowjobs don’t mean anything. Getting fucked is what counts to me.”

“You tell that to Darko.” Vinh muttered to herself as she threw her freshly cut and seasoned vegetables and then forked potatoes in the oven. She didn’t miss the brash reference to one of her biggest regrets either. “What does it matter to you anyway who I may or may not be sleeping with?”

“You ever fuck, Charlie?”

_Ah, the point. You’ve finally arrived._

“No. I told you this before and nothing has changed since, Nigel.”

Vinh felt as though that answer wasn’t good enough for him either. He was fishing for something, waiting for Vinh to slip up. But she wouldn’t, she couldn't; for Charlie’s sake and for her own.

Once the steaks were done and the vegetables and potatoes cooled down, Vinh plated the entrees. They sat in companionable silence while she picked at her food taking small bites like her mother beat into head since she was a little girl. Nigel’s dinner table manners, on the other hand, were left to be desired. Maybe the two foes, he and Charlie, had more in common than just a woman.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A super short and sweet chapter where Nigel gets a taste of what life could be like other than violence, copious amounts drugs and alcohol and a different woman every night. Does he like what he sees? Or has this been a life-long dream for this gangster?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine.
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

After a month of torture, Nigel finally got the call from Darko informing him it was safe to come out of hiding and back to terrorizing the people of Bucharest once again. Vinh fantasized about this day. She dreamed of changing the locks and throwing a party-for-one in just her underwear with a glass of wine the day Nigel finally left.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case, not exactly. Six hours in and Nigel came stalking back through Vinh’s door again.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Vinh shouted out, pissed her naked party was suddenly cancelled.

“I live here.”

“The fuck you do! Darko called you back out to the club,” Vinh recounted. “You told me you didn’t have to be here anymore. You actually ran out of here quicker than I could kick you out.”

Nigel shrugged off her comments while getting one of his left over beers from the fridge. “Okay well, I’m hungry and takeaway won’t do it for me anymore.”

“So I’m your personal chef now?”

“I gave you a shitload of fucking money,” he reminded her. “If I ask you to cook for me all you need to do is ask what I want.”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Nigel? Seriously, get the fuck out. I wasn’t planning on doing anything after you left anyway.”

Vinh grabbed her celebratory wine bottle, forgone a glass and marched off onto her balcony. There waited a cheap lawn chair she found one afternoon while driving home from work a while back and she couldn’t wait to break it in. Vinh was going to enjoy Nigel’s absence whether he was actually gone or not. He would leave eventually if she ignored him long enough.

“So what, you’re going to drink this pussy shit and not make us dinner?” He followed out after her. “If I wanted to get drunk and people watch I would’ve went to the club.”

“You still can.” Arguing or negotiating with Nigel was moot Vinh knew in her short and bitter experience with him. Her job as caretaker was over and done with. She was going to enjoy her wine, bask in the afternoon sunlight, laugh and gawk at the people walking below, and sit alone in peace for once since before Charlie arrived.

“One missed meal won’t kill you.”

Vinh noticed from the corner of her eye, Nigel’s mouth hung open for a few seconds when it dawned on him she wasn’t moving from her chair simply because he said so. Nigel eventually got the hint and went to leave, slamming the slider door so hard it bounced back open enough for Vinh to feel a breeze from the fan, in her living room still going, across her shoulders. She waited for a front door slam to follow but Nigel’s dramatic exit never came. Still, Vinh remained seated.

“He better not go through my stuff again.” She concluded any money he stole would be his own and then he would leave. She didn’t have any valuables worth taking that she couldn’t replace. But she just shrugged off her concerns and allowed herself to relax. “It’s his money anyway. No money, no Nigel. I can deal with that.”

“Is this what you call fun?”

“Holy shit! Where’d you come from?” Vinh spat out her wine, spooked by Nigel’s abrupt reappearance. “You need a fucking bell around your neck.”

Nigel flashed a satisfied grin, chuffed he could still sneak up in her even after all this time. “No, I don’t think so, gorgeous. I like keeping you on your toes.”

“More like scaring the shit out of me,” Vinh corrected. “Why are you still here anyway? I told you I’m not—”

“Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first fucking time.” He hushed her before selecting a cigarette and leaning onto his usual spot in the balcony banister. “I have a few hours to kill and I’m starving so I ordered a pizza.”

“And you couldn’t have done that somewhere else? Like your place or the club?” Nigel flashed another toothy mischievous grin, exposing his sharp canines and stained front teeth that went straight across his mouth instead of curved. Vinh noted the distinction. It freaked it out how quickly she like them and wanted to see again but still despised Nigel.

“I come and go as I please, wherever I please,” he declared. “Besides, if I were at the club I wouldn’t be enjoying this beautiful view with such lovely company and wine with pizza.”

“Oh no, you’re not having any of my wine.” Vinh asserted, snatching the bottle and placed it on the other side of her away from Nigel. “I’ve been saving this baby for this exact occasion. You left a case of beer in the fridge, drink that.”

“So you were expecting me to come back?” He teased. “You missed me, did you?”

“You were gone for not even half-a-day. You never gave me the chance to get rid of the shit.”

“Likely story,” he grinned again, enjoying Vinh’s combined frustration and annoyance with him.

“Whatever, Nigel,” she gulped down another mouthful of wine. She could practically hear her mother yelling and berating her for her unladylike behavior. Oh, well.

“Have your pizza and beer and then get out.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gone before you finish your sugary pussy drink.”

Vinh blanched at Nigel’s colorful language. There wasn’t any changing his mind about her choice of drink. And following two more mouthfuls, she didn't care. After several cigarettes, two beers, half a bottle of wine and a shared pizza (Vinh tried to hold off as long as she could out of spite but the wine soon got to her and the smell of hot, gooey cheese was to die for) and the reluctant roommates were falling over themselves with laughter; cracking jokes and commenting about the people walking by them below.

“Oh look at them!” Nigel voiced for Vinh’s attention, “Dry humping in the middle of the street. Hey, get a room you fucking whores! Stop fucking in the street!”

Vinh wheezed from under her hands while covering her mouth when the couple searched around for the offensive taunting. He even attempted to quiet her boisterous laughter with his own hands before she ultimately got a hold of herself before the couple could spot them above. Unfortunately, their fun time came to an end when Nigel got a call from Darko.

“Shit! I got to go.”

“Take some water with you,” Vinh slurred as he guided her back inside and onto the couch. “And make sure you eat again to sober up before you start your shift.”

Nigel took her advice to heart albeit a bit surprised by it. “Don’t worry, Vinnie. I’m not a lightweight like you. It will take more than a few beers to put me down.”

“Fuck you, Nigel,” she hiccuped. “I’m just making sure you don’t break your hand because you saw two faces of the guy you tried to beat up and punched the wall instead. Then, I have to hear you bitch for another month. No thanks!”

“You keep telling yourself that, gorgeous. We both know you care.”

Nigel listened for Vinh’s crack back at him but when none came he went back to check on her, lying on the couch. Within seconds, she was gone to him for the rest of the night. He secured the balcony door, threw the blanket he normally slept with over her, and turned off the lights. He would check on her in the morning. At least that would be his excuse when he came back to her; when he came back home.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vinh and Nigel grow closer, coming to an understanding about each other's personality and quirks everyday but is it enough for these two stubborn knuckleheads? 
> 
> Moreover, Charlie isn't the only Countryman looking for love and companionship in all the wrong people. 
> 
> **This chapter has implied/references of attempted rape/non-consensual drug use**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine.
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

Every night since their drunken comedy show, Nigel invited himself over for dinner at Vinh’s before he was expected at the club. After the third day, he finally found the manners to bring a dish with him. It was typically a store bought cake and ice cream or a bottle of wine he didn't understand why Vinh liked but brought with him to dinner anyway. And of course with all things Nigel, nothing was smooth sailing. It wouldn’t be his style if he didn’t cross a line he never cared to be cautious of to begin with.

After Vinh came home from grocery shopping one evening, she found Nigel sitting in the middle of her living room surrounded by dismantled shelves that Vinh assumed belonged to a television set when she spotted the massive flat screen leaning beside the couch.

“Nigel, what the hell are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious, University Girl?” He answered without stopping his task at hand. “What's for dinner?”

“The hell with dinner, whose tv is that and why is it here?”

“What do you mean no dinner?” He whined, looking up at her this time. “I'm going to be starving after this.”

“Nigel, I didn't ask for this. Take it back. I hardly watch tv as is and I only pay for the internet not cable.”

His head perked up at her admittance. “We're going to have to change that because the finals are coming up soon and I need to watch the games.”

“Then watch them at a sports bar,” she noted. “Televised sports is kinda their thing.”

“I'm out working at the club and can't watch the games when they’re on. But I can hurry and catch up on the highlights while I’m here,” he explained. “You’re due for a fucking tv anyway. Now hush, I'm trying to get these pieces right and you chatting my fucking ear off isn't helping.”

Vinh begrudgingly got started on dinner while Nigel continued to struggle with the scattered shelves. Minutes after Vinh got the water boiling, Nigel loudly swore, snatched his cigarettes off the coffee and stomped out onto the balcony.

“Poor thing,” Vinh snorted at Nigel’s fit while stirring the pasta, “can’t even put shelves together. How did he make it this far in life?”

The pasta didn’t take long; neither did the chicken and vegetables. Once everything was finished, turned off and ready to serve Vinh thought to call Nigel back in but ultimately decided against it.

“He’s a grown man. He’ll come in and eat when he’s ready.”

Vinh then assessed Nigel’s mess in her living room. The sight of it wasn’t too far off from the last time he intentionally destroyed her place. On the contrary, he was trying to build something instead of tear it down this time. It wouldn’t hurt Vinh to help him move things along.

“The quicker he’s done and eats, the quicker he’ll leave.” She reasoned her extended kindness and irritation towards the mobster. Vinh searched for the instructions for a few minutes before they finally showed themselves peeking from under the couch. How Nigel managed to lose the instructions without actually using them was beyond her. A warm breeze and cigarette smoke blew into the apartment and then abruptly ended when Nigel stepped back into the room.

“I’ll do—Whoa!” Nigel froze. “How are you nearly done already?”

“It won’t take me much longer,” Vinh hinted while tightening a screw in. “I could use another hand though.”

Done in no time, neither moved to set the television up or work any of the cords. Instead, they admired their handiwork and saved the rest for another day. After a moment of rest, Vinh began to clean up the discarded cardboard and whatnot that came with Nigel’s unexpected purchases when a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her before she started.

“Don’t worry about that, come eat.” Although taken aback by his gentleness, Vinh didn’t argue with Nigel. She didn’t say a word when he prepared her plate or poured her a glass of wine. Or comment on the small bites he took versus the forkful he normally shoveled into his mouth. She remained silent when he cleared the table and left the dishes in the sink to soak. Nigel quickly changed his clothes and readied to leave for the club for another night when Vinh belatedly thanked him for the television and stand set.

“And you know, dinner and the dishes too,” she continued. “I really appreciate it.”

His cheeks cracked with a wholehearted grin. “No prblemo, gorgeous. I’m an asshole not ungrateful. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Just remember that appreciation when you’re pissed at me again.”

Vinh definitely appreciated Nigel’s generosity towards her and her home. The new television wasn’t the only thing Nigel helped himself to. A few days after, she realized she was drying off with a fresh towel she didn’t buy. And when she went to the hallway closet to confirm her suspicions, there they were crammed on the middle shelf with the others. Vinh checked for more new items in her apartment while Nigel was out working or committing some other debauchery she didn’t want to think about.

New stools with beige colored seat cushions and iron legs instead of the cheap wood ones Vinh originally thrifted under the breakfast bar. She even noticed new plants crowding the balcony again but Vinh refused to give him credit for those on the account of, he was the one who destroyed them to begin with.

Eventually, after everything was cleaned and put away, Nigel left for his shift at the club. Vinh wasn’t expecting him back anytime soon and she had no plans. Movies on her laptop in bed kept her entertained until her burning retinas couldn’t take staring at the bright screen anymore. However, the rapid text messages sent to her phone had other plans.

“At least she’s stop calling.” Vinh rolled her eyes at the suspected culprit interrupting her movie time. However, that wasn’t the case when she finally glanced at the contact’s name.

“Dammit, not him!”

“Come out tonight” Luc texted.

“w/ me vinh”

“well have fun ;)”

“away from the scary man”

“He’s not that bad.” Vinh offered about Nigel but didn’t dare text her defense back to Luc. She still wasn’t sure about him. He had a reputation for being a ladies man and the way he bragged about his conquests so openly never sat well with Vinh.

“I’ll take a rain check,” she replied. When Luc didn’t respond Vinh assumed that was the end of it and got back to her movie until the phone unexpectedly rang.

“Why is he calling me? He never calls,” Vinh wondered suspiciously. “Hello?”

“Please, Vinh. Come out with me,” Luc pleaded. “I know you’ve been cooped up in that tower with your guard on duty but I want to see you.”

“I don’t know Luc. I don’t want to third wheel with you and Karl.”

“Fuck Karl! He’s on his own tonight.”

Vinh jumped back from Luc’s spiteful tone.

_They must be getting tired of each other._

“Let me show you a good time. The last time got crowded and I really like you. I have since we met. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“What every girl wants to hear in his back pocket, I see.” Vinh said astonished that he would pull that line on her, and so easily too. “How many women has he tried that on?” Vinh’s thoughts wondered to Nigel.

“What happens if he comes back and I’m not here?” she debated. “Why does it matter? A little fun and maybe some dick in your life won’t hurt anyone. Nigel indulges his poor decisions, why can’t you do the same?”

“Fuck it!” she proclaimed.

“Since you put it like that,” Vinh responded to Luc’s pleas. “I guess I have no choice.”

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Luc hooted in excitement. “I’ll come get you in an hour. Will my princess be ready by then?”

“I don’t know about ‘princess’ but let me know when you get here. I’ll come down to meet you.”

After Vinh got dressed and ready to leave, the part of her that really cared about how she looked urged her back to her room, claiming her shirt wasn’t ‘sexy enough’ and demanded she replace her dusty tennis shoes with a small heel.

“Yeah, it’s Luc but so what? You look good for you no matter the company,” her conscious insisted. With a little added lipstick, eyeliner, and mascara plus a dab of perfume she was finally ready for her date.

“Was it a date?” Vinh questioned. She hadn’t been on one in years. Like a real date to a show and dinner or an activity followed by drinks.

“No,” she decided. “This wasn’t a date. Keep your head, Vinh. Enjoy yourself but not too much. Don’t become another notch on his bedpost. But if push comes to shove, at least make him earn it.”

Luc earned points with Vinh when he greeted her with a clean rented car, a double cheek kiss and even opened the door for her into his car. His cologne too, got Vinh’s attention. She couldn’t recall where she first smelled the scent but it was definitely familiar.

Not long after, they arrived to a small restaurant on a strip mall a few miles north outside of Old Town. They sat at the bar and ordered drinks. Luc rambled on about how nice it was to be with Vinh and how he finally got her to go out with him. She wasn’t really listening. She was weary of her surroundings and the people around them. She recalled something Darko had warned her about when Charlie first came into town and the last time she went out with Luc.

_Everything in North Bucharest belongs to me._

Even though they were nowhere near his usual hangouts and she didn’t spot any drug pushers lurking within a mile of this place, Vinh guessed they were safe. Eventually, her body believed their sense of security and relaxed. After two drinks, and her order of burger and fries, Vinh granted Luc’s dirty jokes an audience. She slowed down with water before dessert he insisted on ordering. They traded bathroom breaks and when it was Vinh’s turn, she caught a whiff of Luc’s cologne again. Confused all the way to the bathroom, she soon remembered where she first smelled the familiar scent.

“You can’t be serious, Vinh,” she berated herself. “Him of all people? You’re out with this guy you’ve known for years and has never hurt you in anyway and you’re thinking about Nigel right now?” Vinh almost splashed water on her face to shock herself out of her foolishness but didn’t want makeup smudges smeared all on her face for the rest of the night. At last, she pulled herself together and talked her Nigel thoughts away.

“Just go with it. Have fun and stop thinking about him, stupid.”

Luc and a pair of ice cream milkshakes waited for Vinh back at the bar. He turned up his flirting as he pulled Vinh’s stool closer to him and started dragging his fingertips up and down Vinh’s back. She didn’t return his touch but didn’t feel the need to repel from his. It was nice to experience a friendly, intimate touch. One of Luc’s hands continued playing against her skin while the other spooned the mixed toppings and whipped cream in his tall dessert glass. He didn’t bother to play down his intentions, seductively licking his spoon when he finished mixing his drink. Vinh hid her smile behind her tower of whipped cream. She regretted it since she figured he would take it the wrong way.

_God, he’s looks so stupid! Nigel would never. He would’ve just ate the shit. He didn’t play around with his food. He eats like someone’s gonna snatch it from him at any second._

“How he used to eat...remember?” Vinh recalled. “He slowed down now. He takes his time to taste his food now.” Vinh licked her lips at the memory of him. Not just his eating habits but that permanent smell he carried with him. Besides the tobacco, he smelled of sweat, chocolate and desire. The scent never hit Vinh outright; more like an aftertaste. He took his time with everything now. He didn’t yell as loud or as often anymore. He cleaned up after himself more. He dressed like he gave a shit about how he looked. Vinh’s thoughts returned to the bar and Luc when she felt fingers grip her inner thigh and slowly travel upward. She reflexively grabbed Luc’s hand before he went further.

“Want me to take you home?” Vinh only nodded when he called for the check. She felt woozy even as Luc guided her back to the car. Vinh rolled down the window and forced her eyes to stay open as he drove back to her apartment.

“Let me walk you up.” Luc suggested before Vinh could even get the door open. As if she could. Everything felt numb and her senses slowed even worse than when she was normal drunk.

“This isn’t drunk. What is this?” Vinh felt hands going into her pockets. She tried pushing them away but it was no use. She couldn’t see what she was fighting against; she couldn’t get a good grip on it as her fingers slid down the stiff shirt fabric at every grab. “Luc, what’s happening?” she slurred. “What are you doing?”

He didn’t answer. At least, Vinh doesn’t remember him answering. His weak arms attempted to lift her over his shoulder but then he redirected managing Vinh’s deadweight by putting one of her arms around his shoulder and hoisted her up by her waist. Her weakened voice protested against Luc’s advances but no one would hear her feeble cries for help. She felt trapped in her own useless, paralyzed body.

“Let me go, let me go,” Vinh murmured repeatedly but Luc wasn’t through with her. Bringing her home was just the beginning. Vinh assumed they were on their way to her apartment door when Luc stopped and she heard a beep meaning he got pass the building’s front door. She cursed him for not making sure she was really drunk or completely passed out in the car on the way over. Now Vinh would remember everything and know she couldn’t do a thing to stop it.

Vinh resigned to her disturbing fate. She knew she shouldn’t but she ultimately blamed herself. She knew Luc wasn’t shit but gave him the benefit of the doubt. She heard from his own mouth how he treated women and the abundance of drugs and alcohol should have been large, bright red flags but she still when went out with him.

_Nigel drank and probably did drugs too and you still like him. If you gave him a chance, why wouldn’t you do so with someone you called a friend? Someone you actually knew and trusted? Or so you thought you did._

As Vinh’s thoughts returned to Nigel, she couldn’t help but cry for him. She knew he wouldn’t be back yet. He never returned this early. By the time he did Luc would be done with her and long gone. Her assailant struggled under Vinh’s dead weight as he tried to scan her key fob against the automated lock above the door knob. On his third attempt, the door finally clicked open.

There it was again, that strong earthy smell.

“What the fuck?” someone said. “What are you doing here, you little bitch? Why is Vinh like this?” Vinh didn’t hear what Luc said. Maybe he stuttered out an explanation. Maybe Nigel stunned him into silence. Either way, Vinh was yanked away from her captor, her legs lifted off the ground by powerful, experienced arms while a head pounding echo shut out the light in the hallway into sudden darkness. Vinh breathed into Nigel’s open shirt. She nuzzled her nose into his chest hair as he carried away to safety. He soon lowered Vinh down onto fresh sheets, removed her shoes and tucked her under her soft, warm covers.

She wanted to thank him, hug him, kiss him even. She felt her lips mimic his name but didn’t believe it actually slipped out pass her tongue. For all she knew, this was a hallucination from whatever Luc slipped her and he actually made it into her apartment and … she didn’t want to think about it. Vinh didn’t know how much time had passed but at some point she felt a dip in her bed next to her. It was him. It was Nigel.

The smell of cigarettes wasn’t as strong this time but his manly funk reached around to her nose from behind her. He didn’t try and remove any more clothes after her shoes. He didn’t invade her body under the covers, only tightened his arms around her over them. But she did feel a calloused finger brush strands of hair away from her face before they wrapped themselves around her again. Once more, Vinh mouthed Nigel’s name to thank him but even with all her might nothing reached her ears.

Eventually, Vinh drifted off to sleep, safe and secure in the arms of a man who sought to protect her instead of cause more damage like she had become accustomed to. This wasn’t a new Nigel, just another facet of a complex man only a select few got to see. This is what Vinh wanted, what she craved. From how comfortable they felt in each other’s arms, she suspected he did too.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Vinh and Nigel grow more and more comfortable with each other they start to accept and reject each other's habits and personalities.
> 
> Mostly, a backstory chapter. Nigel and his crazy ways are explained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine.
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

Life carried on as normal as Vinh’s disastous date with Luc. She hadn’t heard nor seen from him since that night. Sometime after things cooled down and she stopped crying at the drop of a hat, Nigel returned to the apartment clothes and hair astray completely different than when he initially left out. Vinh preferred the couch than her room most days and that’s where she spotted Nigel rush back through the door. He noticed her noticing his destroyed clothes; his torn dress shirt, scoffed pants and bloodied face.

“Nigel—”

“It’s not mine, gorgeous.” He quickly reassured, placating her rational concerns before he stepped out on the balcony with a cigarette between his lips. “Don’t worry, rest.” And that was the end of it. No mention of Luc, their date or even why Nigel felt the need to sleep alongside her that night.

Some days, Vinh couldn’t recall what she wore before she left. Other days, she remembered only bits and pieces. In her nightmares, she envisioned everything; waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, reliving that horrid night’s event all over again. Vinh had enough emotional distress of what could have been to unpack, if beating Luc to a pulp was Nigel’s way of dealing with this shitty situation so be it. He didn’t feel the need to bring it up again afterwards and neither did she.

After a while, Vinh no longer blocked Nigel from her thoughts. If anything she invited the man into her train of thought whenever she so fit. She closely observed and noted everything he did; his morning and nightly routines and his daily habits. The type of shampoo and soap he used that haunted her pillows well after his stay in her bed days before.

Then the ones that grated in her nerves like when he left the shower dial on freezing cold and the shower stopper up so when Vinh ran the water, if she didn’t feel and change it right away, she would be walking into an ice bath. Or when he always tiptoed around at night, in the dark, scaring the shit out of Vinh when she went to use the bathroom. This was her way of getting to know him without asking because heaven forbid he would actually talk to her. And then, there were the dishes…

“Why can’t you wash these dishes by hand instead of loading them into the fucking dishwasher?”

Vinh rolled her eyes at Nigel. “Here we go again.” She sighed after pausing her movie.

“You mean the dishes you throw in there every night and don’t clean your damn self?” she rebutted.

“That‘s not the point.” He argued as he started the water and drizzled dish liquid onto the food stained dishes. “Why can’t you wash them by hand? Why are you wasting the water? You constantly leave lights on and the tv when you’re not using them. I’m sick of it.”

“It’s my place, Nigel.” Vinh asserted, meeting him toe-to-toe in the kitchen (difficult with their height difference) with her hands on her hips. “If I want to leave every light on, run the damn water in the kitchen and bathroom and turn the volume up on the tv throughout the day I will.”

Nigel vigorously washed the various dishes and greasy pans in the sink. “You’re not the only person who fucking lives here, Vinh. I pay you a shitload of money every fucking week so I expect you to show a little fucking respect dammit!”

The tightness in his jaw told Vinh it took every ounce of restraint for Nigel not to drop every glass onto the floor or throw them against the wall as he cleaned them.

_The old Nigel would have done that and more._

Vinh didn’t reply to his frustration. She let him finish what he started with the dishes. He needed this. He needed something to do with his hands and diffuse his anger before he spoke again. After he loaded the dishes onto the drying rack, Nigel rested his hands onto the edge of the sink and dropped his head. His anger consumed him while his routines and odd behavior settled him. Vinh wanted to know why.

Vinh gently grabbed Nigel’s wrist and lead him back to the couch. With her movie time over, Vinh cut the television off completely before she spoke again. “What is it, really?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s not the dishes or the lights, Nigel. It’s something else. What’s bothering you?”

He chuckled at her badgering. “What are you some shrink now? I’m not some head case, Vinh. I’m fine.” He attempted to leave, brushing off her questions off again.

“My family constantly moved because my dad was in the military. I was always the new girl who didn’t know the culture of the city or town we’d just moved to. I talked weird and dressed funny. Then, add the fact I’m biracial so I wasn’t all of one thing or the other. Kids didn’t know where I belonged and they were cruel about it. I didn’t do myself any favors either when I fought back. Sometimes, it was too much,” she went on. “I didn’t know what to do, how to get them to leave me alone or how to control my anger towards them and myself. So I focused on what I did know.”

“And what was that?”

“Plants,” Vinh gladly answered. “See, on my walks home from school I really enjoyed how the plants grew, lived and then died as the seasons changed. What they weathered through after the rain and when the wind battered them down or when the snow froze them down to nothing but their roots. But then they grew back stronger than ever, thriving and flourishing through another day, another season, another year.”

Nigel frowned after listening to her story. “Plants? They helped you deal with asshole brats and constantly moving? I call bullshit.”

“Well, that and therapy my mother insisted I attend since I kept getting suspended from school for fighting and nearly expelled for lighting some girl’s hair on fire.”

“Now, that’s what I’m talking about!” Nigel shouted, clearly interested now. “What that bitch fucking deserved.”

“Yeah, I thought that too,” Vinh laughed along but then reasoned with him, “That’s not what I’m getting at, Nigel. What I’m saying is. We all have hobbies and routines, things that keep us sane and settled to help us deal with our past and present lives. I’ve noticed yours.” Nigel’s toothy grin dwindled down so only the tips of his canines were visible behind his lips. “I’m asking why?”

“I told you, Vinh. I don’t need a fucking therapy session.” Again, he tried to leave but Vinh tugged him back down.

“Nigel, please. If we’re going to be living together and respect each other’s space while occupying it, demanding it won’t cut it with me.”

He rubbed his hand across his lips, and then ran them through his head.

_Think about it all you want. I’m not going anywhere._

With Vinh’s insistence clearly flashed across her face, Nigel soon got the hint and settled onto the couch beside her. “I’m gonna need a beer for this.” Vinh gladly provided him with two.

“I didn’t always have money or anything, really; just me and my mother.” He paused for a swig of beer. Vinh noted the soft spot for his mom. If he didn’t have one for her Vinh would have been concerned. “We were constantly moving, kicked out of our apartment or another relative’s living rooms, halfway houses, or shelters,” he huffed out a ghost of a lugh as he recalled his early life. “We just couldn’t stay put to save our lives.”

He took another swig.

“I was teased too,” he continued. “Chased and beaten walking to wherever we lived then after school, robbed of what little I had whether it was my clothes, shoes or school bag simply because those fuckers could. I had to walk home in my underwear more than once. One time not even that much.”

“Nigel,” Vinh gasped, “I’m sorry.”

Another swig he took a long one this time.

“Don’t worry. I fought back, just like you. Eventually, I got bigger, faster, and stronger and they wouldn’t fuck with me anymore. Or they just got bored.” His ill fitted joke didn’t make Vinh feel better. Her stomach sank listening to Nigel describe his life in poverty and dreaded what he would reveal next.

“Fast-forward, I’m sixteen. I hear some asshole brag about fucking some girl he shared a few weeks ago with some other guys. Like he couldn’t find another girl to fuck since so he’s bragging about one from weeks before,” he scoffed. “It was probably months not weeks, that little fucker.”

“Nigel.”

“Alright,” he refocused. “So he goes on about this bitch and what they did with her and where they did it. From what he described, I sought the place out myself. It had no address on the door and it looked abandoned as all hell. I mean, the shit was falling apart,” he added. “But my mother and I were getting kicked out on our asses again soon and I wanted to step it up for her. I was becoming a man and I needed to act like one.”

“So you two moved into a vacant, dilapidated house where school boys have orgies with other teenage girls? Real impressive, Nigel.”

“Look,” he pointed out. “It was the best I could do in such a short period of time, okay? So don’t give me shit. Besides, it wasn’t that bad once I got a look inside and got rid of the trash those punks left behind.”

“And your mother was okay with this?” Vinh asked in disbelief.

“No, she told me off like every woman does,” Vinh couldn’t help but smirk at that fact.”

“At least you’re aware of your shitty behavior.”

“Yeah, yeah, shut your mouth and listen,” he playfully ordered Vinh. “Like I was saying, she hesitated at first, but at this point we didn’t have a choice. We were indoors instead of on the street again and we had it to ourselves instead of a sharing it with a bunch drunks, addicts and perverts.”

“But then something happened?” Vinh questioned.

Nigel nodded sullenly. “Yeah, something happened alright.”

He emptied the beer can this time then cracked open the other.

“Slow down, Nigel,” Vinh insisted. She didn’t need him drunk before he got to the juicy part. “Wait until we’re finished talking before you drink this one.”

“Fine,” he growled at Vinh’s bossiness but did as she said anyway. “So, you know how I said I grew stronger and ran faster from my school mates who liked to fuck with me to the point where they finally stopped?” Vinh remembered. “Well, not all of them were too happy about their punching bag growing a pair of balls.”

“What did they do?”

Nigel took a moment before he answered. Lounging back into the couch cushions, the creases in his forehead grew deeper at the memory. “I didn’t hear him behind me. Nothing seemed out of place at the house, everything right where it belonged.”

“Someone broke into your house and stole from you and your mother?”

Nigel shook in head. “Here’s the thing…when you’re squatting in an abandoned house you have to be inconspicuous when occupying the space or the neighbors who actually still give a shit will start poking their heads where they don’t fucking belong.” Nigel’s cracked his knuckles; his knee bounced up and down, his chest rose and fell quicker with each breath.

Vinh scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder until his heart rate slowed down. “Tell me.”

“My mother reminded me a number of times to not use up too much water since we used it to bathe and cook with. And use the lights only when absolutely necessary. But I had too much going at once. Too consumed with bathing and eating and keeping the rats away and not getting sick from the constant chill in that shitty squabble. I never noticed them—never heard them coming.”

“Nigel, what happened?”

“Someone banged on the door. Another shined a flashlight through the dirty windows. Soon after, red and blue lights swirled outside. The wooden plank we used as a lock on the door splintered and cracked under multiple officer’s weight. There I was again, half-naked and ripped of my dignity.

They stripped the house clean and trashed all our belongings; the only things we had to our names, gone. They gave no word, no explanation. They never asked me my name or why I was living there. They just threw me in the back of their squad car and shipped me over to jail. Come to find out, not only is the place a former whore house but also frequents pushers and their customers. The cops were tipped off people were in there selling again and they spotted a ‘John’ coming and going throughout the day.”

“Well…” Vinh carefully worded her next question, “did you do any of that?”

“Not with my mother fucking living there.” Nigel firmly stated, successfully escaping the couch and away from Vinh’s clutches. He hurryingly paced in the narrow space behind the couch. “I was no angel back then. Worse than what I am now. Reckless as fuck and a little horny shit but I would never, NEVER do anything like that around my mother or where she laid her head, ever.”

Vinh remained silent. She quickly learned when Nigel got worked up to give him room to breathe and allow himself to calm down without her interference.

“That little fucker just couldn’t let it go. He...he couldn’t take his beating like a man. He got me arrested for some shit I know he fucking planted or lied about and put my mother on the street.” He ran his fingers deep through his roots, yanking on them when he reached their ends. “All I wanted to do was take care of her like she did me.” His voice wobbled through his confession, “Just me and her. That‘s all I ever wanted.”

“Nigel, where is she now?” Vinh whispered. “What happened after your arrest?”

Eventually, he sat down on a bar stool with his head down, his hair hiding the tears Vinh saw fall onto his jeans but she stayed put.

“Gone...hit and run...while I was away.”

“I’m so sorry.” He wiped the tears away and sniffed up anymore that dared well up in his eyes.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Is that why you’re so protective of Gabi? Why you cling to her?” Vinh pried. “She reminds you of your mother?”

Nigel huffed out a laugh. “Gabi’s nothing like my mother,” he retorted, his voice gruff and brittle then. “I don’t want anything to happen to her. I promised I would always look out for her even before we got married and I will. I love her.”

“But she doesn’t want it, Nigel. She doesn’t want you.”

“She doesn’t know what she wants,” his voice clipped back at her.

Vinh went to argue but Nigel marched away from her, readied a cigarette between his lips and slammed the screen door out on the balcony before she could protest. Just when they were making a breakthrough in this strange, forced relationship they were on the outs again.

Then out of nowhere a sudden noise from in between the couch cushions made Vinh shriek in surprise. As she dug into the couch, she recognized the ringtone before she glanced at the caller ID. The ring was specifically set for her.

“Hi ma,” Vinh answered with as little emotion she could restrain out of her voice. Silence remained between the two. No static, no breathing into the receiver but Vinh knew her mother was there. She didn’t have time for this. If her mother didn’t have anything different to say from the last time they spoke other than to pester her then Vinh refused to entertain her.

“It’s Bo. He’s not well.” Vinh dropped the tough act. Defensive when it came to her mother, her relationship wasn’t much better with her dad but Vinh always caved in with him.

“Hold on a sec,” she urged her mother. Vinh wasn’t going to have this conversation out here with Nigel so close. Even after his emotional breakthrough, Vinh wasn’t ready to share more of her trauma him. Not yet.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nigel and Darko aren't the only people Vinh should be worried about. Remember that guy in the back of Nigel's (more than likely stolen) pick-up truck?? Yeah...his people are back for blood. Will Nigel and Co. come to save the day or will they leave Vinh to hang?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine.
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Also, I have never been to Bucharest (although it's listed as one of the cheapest places in Europe to visit right now and I'm very tempted to hop on a plane) so if the description of landscape or what's really in Bucahrest doesn't sound right or doesn't actually exist...oops.
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

“Nigel, I’m going out to the store. You want anything?”

“Some new smokes, tasty beer and willing pussy.”

“Okay, gross,” Vinh detested. “You have beer and a family pack of cigarettes in the freezer,” she added. “I meant food. Preferably something I can grab on my way back.”

Instead of answering, Nigel continued watching the replays from last night’s game he missed while working. He had just woke up a couple of hours before Vinh’s errand run so he was short on words before his midday coffee and refused to remove his eyes from the screen once he turned the television on. He finally responded when a beer commercial played.

“That! I want that brand of beer.” Vinh recognized the American brand and rolled her eyes.

“Nigel, what about the beer you already have in the fridge? I’m not going to keep hauling beer in the house every time I go out.”

“Stop fucking complaining. It’s my money and you’re going out anyway. Just grab a cab on your way back.”

Vinh sighed. It was his money. He could do what he wanted with it. He just wanted Vinh to do it instead. “Fine, Nigel. What else?”

He waved off her question as he got up for one of his bathroom breaks. “I don’t care, something greasy and hot.”

“Burgers and fries it is.”

After Vinh completed her shopping, she picked up Nigel’s special beer request but outright refused to buy another pack of cigarettes when a perfectly fine unopened carton occupied her cramped freezer. Shortly thereafter, their food order was ready as well and back to the apartment Vinh went. The street lights brightened the sidewalks even though the summer sun still warmed the early evening sky.

“Ride, need a ride, miss?” shouted a cab driver, strolling alongside Vinh in the street. She debated accepting his offer since the walk back to the apartment wasn’t far. Just then, her arms and wrists strained under the weight of her bags.

She didn’t think too hard about it, shrugged off the cab driver timely appearance as pure coincidence and accepted the ride. The man looked fairly young for a cab driver. Then again, who was Vinh to put a cap on someone’s age doing something she never wanted to do herself. He also appeared top heavy, all muscle and with a beefy neck; sweaty too Vinh observed from her limited view in the back seat. As he steered the car, she could spot the seams of his poor polo shirt holding on for dear life. The nape of his neck shined with a sheet of sweat as he fiddled with his collar.

“God, I hope I didn’t get one of the tweaked out cabbies.” Vinh silently prayed while she peered out the window. This cab ride started to feel like a mistake. “Maybe I should walk the rest of the way.”

He tried small talk with her. Needless chattering Vinh didn’t have the heart to tell the driver she could do without.

_Nigel would’ve told him to quit it. He would’ve cussed him out. Shut him right up. Scare the guy right out of charging him._

Vinh hid her naughty smile behind her hand, paying the street outside no real mind. She imagined what Nigel was up to back at the apartment. How many cigarettes he stubbed out on her balcony? How many beers he had drank even though he claimed they tasted watered down? Or how loud his outburst were between him and the “fucking morons” or “shitty referees” running and kicking a soccer ball back and forth on the screen he stared at when it wasn’t Vinh’s turn to pick what they watched that day or occupied at the club. Speaking of the apartment...

“Excuse me, where are we going?” Vinh pointed out. “You missed my turn.”

“Thinking of your boyfriend? He makes you laugh?”

_Who is this guy?_

“Dude, take me home or let me out!”

“Is Nigel worth it? Is he worth dying over?”

Vinh gasped at the man’s words. Yeah, this was definitely a mistake. He kept stealing glances at her in his rearview window and then at his side view mirrors. Vinh followed his gaze and spotted another car with at least two men keeping pace with her cab. She caught the man’s eyes again.

This time he stared back at her. His jovial mood disappeared replaced with a cold and meticulous determination. Vinh had no doubt she would either be dead soon or be seriously injured if she didn’t get moving.

She noticed how the phony driver navigated through traffic, traveling further east away from her part of town. She knew she couldn’t let him get any further or she would be too far from home to know her way back. On the other hand, Vinh wasn’t foolish to think he’d give her ample time to formulate an escape plan, especially with his cronies so close behind. This was déjà vu for poor Vinh. Another day, another madman using her as leverage to lure in their target.

This time, she wasn’t going to go chicken and stay put. Vinh braced herself for the desperate thing she was about to do. With only her cellphone in her pocket and beer and food forgotten, once the second the traffic light flashed green at a busy intersection Vinh jumped out of the cab. She didn’t know where she was running off to. In that moment all sense of direction or courtesy for other people milling about and other drivers went out the window.

“Keep going, keep going!” Vinh ran on pure adrenaline and fear without a glance back at her attackers; she dodged incoming cars, darted diagonally across a park, and skipped through a few alleyways to get out of sight. She had no way of knowing who or how many followed after her but she didn’t dare stop. Finally, Vinh slowed her pace from sprinting across streets and blindsiding drivers like an absent minded deer down to a fast walk, dipping in and out of pedestrians on the sidewalks who didn’t care about Vinh’s stressful afternoon. Eventually, she came across a safe haven: McDonald’s.

After finding a booth in the back by the windows, Vinh plopped down onto the seats. Totally spent, Vinh’s lungs wheezed, feet and knees pricked with numbness and her heart did what it could to remain in her chest. Then, the spasms in her thighs started. Pounding her fists on her legs and swaying side-to-side in her seat as they passed through her body, she probably looked like a addict coming down from her high but she was alive and in one piece. Soon after, Vinh hit something hard on her pants pocket—her phone. Vinh shrieked out in relief after she realized she still had a life-line to use but who would she call? Who was her go-to in all of this mess?

_Charlie?_

Now that she thought about it, Vinh hadn’t spoken to Charlie in weeks, maybe months. They went from distant relatives to roommates to practically strangers in in such a short period of time, the total opposite of what they both expected from this experience and it made Vinh want to cry.

_Is he still upset about my disapproval over Gabi? Does he know Nigel’s been bumming on my couch since that day he left me stranded at the park? Did he know about the gang rivalry and barn fire?_

There was so much she wanted— _needed_ to tell her cousin but where would she start? Would he listen? Would be believe her? Would he even blame her for this attack because of her strange but voluntary relationship with Nigel?

Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her hands. In all the chaos and fuss, she must have inadvertently smashed on the volume button until it went silent and vibrated instead of rang.

“Hello?”

“Thank fucking God! Vinh where are you?”

“Darko?”

“Where the hell are you? You run like a fucking cheetah.”

“Where’s Nigel?”

“Tell me where you are?”

“I, I don’t know. Some McDonald’s I’ve never been to before. I’m too far from home.”

Darko swore before he replied. “Log onto the store’s wifi and leave your phone out. I’ll track you.”

“Track me? Wait, is there a tracker on my phone?” Vinh had so many questions but Darko had already hung up. Too tired to care at that point, Vinh did what she was told and slumped back into the cushions, resting her head against the cool window. People came and went without a sign of Darko or Nigel. Her train of thought roamed to the madman bumming on her couch once more.

“Does he know what happened to me? Did he even notice I’m not back yet? Does he even care? How long had those men been following Nigel and I? Did they say ‘the hell with her’ and redirect back to the apartment for a surprise attack?”

The flood of curiosities screeched to a halt when Vinh recognized the tall, tanned man in a silk black shirt and slacks stalk into the McDonald’s door. Patrons avoided Darko’s path, going around him through the door when he didn’t move until his eyes finally met Vinh’s.

“There you are,” he marched over to her. “Are you alright?”

“You have a tracker on my phone?”

“What the fuck does it matter?” he hissed. “Good thing he did put—”

“So Nigel put the tracker on there,” she huffed. “Figures, no wonder he just popped up at that park that day. Following me is one thing but a tracker is different.”

“You can throw a fit another fucking day. We need to go, now!”

“Who were those men, Darko?” Vinh asked on their way out and into the car. “Were they with those guys from the barn?”

“Bingo, Vinnie. They must have figured something went down when their guys didn’t come back. He was safe living with you but then he returned to work. And well...you know the rest.”

“But why kidnap me? Why not just attack him while I was out? I don’t mean anything to Nigel. I’m not his wife. We don’t have kids together.”

_Thinking of your boyfriend? He makes you laugh? Is Nigel worth it? Is he worth dying over?_

Searching for answers, Vinh noticed Darko struggling for the right reply. No insults, no teasing or threats. His lack of reaction was more suspicious than a surprise.

“What? What is it, Darko? Is Nigel alright?”

“Yeah, he’s alright, better than that actually.”

“What does that mean? Does he even know what’s happened?”

“No, thank God. I was glad you answered the phone and you didn’t look hurt when I found you. Nigel would have my head and my men if you were.”

Darko’s replies were more confusing than his silence.

“Why would Nigel care what happens to me?”

“Trust me, he does,” he said.

Vinh mulled over Darko’s words. Nigel cared. He was willing to hurt right-hand man and others, maybe even kill for her sake. Vinh didn’t know how to feel about that.

_Am worth the trouble? Am I worth dying over? Is Nigel worth dying over? Is Charlie worth dying over? Charlie!_

“Darko, do you know about Charlie? The man who’s seeing Gabi now. The guy Nigel beats the shit out of every time he sees him.”

“Oh, yeah,” he frowned at the memory, “that little piss ant. I remember him with those pieces of shit after they waltzed into my club like they owned the place and that fucker Karl who came all over my girls. I heard what happened, by the way,” he nodded. “Don’t worry. That pussy Luc or that cocksucker Karl won’t be bothering you or any other woman ever again after we got through with them.” Vinh cringed about the thought someone else knew about her idiocy with Luc. How many more reminders did she need?

“But no,” Darko went on. “I haven’t heard much about him lately. Why?”

“Will they go after Charlie and Gabi too?”

“I doubt it,” he answered to her relief. “They haven’t been in town for days.”

That got Vinh’s attention. They left town and Charlie didn’t tell her. Vinh kept her secret about Nigel staying with her to protect Charlie but what benefit did Charlie have skipping town without informing Vinh?

“That’s probably why those fuckers came for you instead,” Darko went on. “Had Gabi and Charlie continued strolling around town like love birds all out in the open, embarrassing the shit out of Nigel like that they may have nabbed them instead of you,” Darko explained. “Reckless, those two are. The leash Victor has on them isn’t tight enough. The guys were really happy when I pulled them off Gabi and put them on you.”

“Why are you telling me all this, Darko?” Vinh groaned as her emotional exhaustion matched the physical. “I’m pretty sure Nigel doesn’t want me knowing about your people following me, his wife and her lover, and the tracker on my phone.”

“Don’t worry, Vinnie.” He teased, completely relaxed with one hand steering the car. “You scratch my back, I scratch yours.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ever since I stashed Nigel at your place he’s been doing a lot better. He talks his way into client’s pockets instead of negotiating fists first. And when he does have to fight his way through, his punches are more efficient and precise not wild like when he’s overly drunk,” Darko tallied. “He’s fucking shaving again and wearing real fucking clothes for God’s sake. I guess regular pussy does that to you.”

“Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. I’m not fucking Nigel, Darko!” Vinh insisted. “Never have, never will.”

“You don’t have to justify your methods to me, Vinnie,” he winked. “Whatever you’re doing it’s working. I’m just saying thanks.”

“You have a really shitty way of showing it. You both do.”

Vinh shook off Darko’s bold assumptions. He thought she was sleeping with Nigel while Nigel thought (and probably still does) she was sleeping with Charlie. That he must be this wild stallion in the sack since multiple women are so protective of him.

_If he only knew…_

Eventually, Darko pulled the car in front of her apartment building after taking the long way back and then joined her ride up the elevator. Her legs couldn’t do the stairs tonight.

“Look who decided to show the fuck up.” Nigel groaned impatiently as Vinh shuffled inside. The balcony door was closed but smoke lingered in after him from outside. “Where the fuck is the food? I don’t have all day.”

Then, he took Vinh’s appearance. He thought she looked lovely, like an angel after he woke up and saw her reading on the couch beside him. He should have told her. Now, her shirt stained with sweat, shoes scuffed from gravel and dirt, shorts hiked further up her thighs and her hair strayed from the hair tie as if she had experienced some type of static shock. The list went on in his head even as he assessed Darko’s presence, who remained by the door, ready to run for it if need be.

Nigel guided Vinh towards the couch and urged her to sit similar to how she treated him when she knew he needed to talk. He sat down on the coffee table in front of her before he sternly asked what happened. Vinh relayed her side of the story; finishing her errands and getting the food, the cab driver and getting a ride back home instead of walking like Nigel suggested, she pointed out. He bit his lip and scrubbed his face with his dry palms, then got up and paced the living room as she went on. She described how she got desperate to get away and then disoriented about where she was after escaping.

“I don’t have your number so I couldn’t call you. Even text you while in the cab.”

“And what about you, nenorocitule?” Nigel growled out at Darko. “Where the fuck were your men I’m fucking paying for?”

“They were there, Nigel,” Darko answered. “They were prepared to follow and close in when the opportunity presented itself without hurting Vinh. They couldn’t attack or open fire in front of all those people. She just,” Darko pointed at Vinh, “took off before they could get to her.”

“Why didn’t those fuckers come here for me, why her?” Nigel repeated the same question as Vinh did.

“Probably as leverage,” Darko guessed. “They must have seen you come in and out of here at night more than once. Hell, they might have seen you two together when you picked her up before the barn fire and figured she must be important. Who knows how long they’d been tailing you.”

“But she has nothing to do with our work at the club, our associates or the shit show at barn. She’s means nothing.”

“I’m right here, Nigel.”

“Shit! You know what I mean, Vinh!”

“No, I don’t. What do I mean to you, Nigel?” Darko openly expressed his gratitude about the positive effects Vinh made on Nigel’s life lately since he moved in and Nigel himself insisted on prolonging his stay Vinh knew was for a much better reason than her subpar cooking yet she meant nothing to him? Even after all this time? Vinh saw it. Darko did too. Hell, the rival gang thought Vinh was worth starting a war over. Why was Nigel denying what was right in front of him?

The two stared each other down, daring the other to breathe before either said another word. Vinh waited for what felt like an eternity but Nigel wouldn’t budge. Eventually, he glanced over to Darko. With only their eyes, they privately conversed with one another. After a moment of their non-verbal discussion, Darko slipped out the door with a soft click, leaving them alone. Vinh stayed the course though with her focus trained on Nigel.

“What is it?” She pleaded with him. “Tell me, Nigel.”

His jawline tensed as he ran his fingers through his greying brown hair all the way until the flimsy ends fell from between his fingers. He was nervous, doubtful and self-conscious. He struggled with expressing himself to Vinh. That explained the gifts and helping around the apartment without her complaining for him to do so. His actions spoke for him but even now they failed. Finally, he regained his seat on the table and directed his dark brown eyes into Vinh’s. He held her soft, nimble fingers in his calloused and seasoned palms; squeezed them, kissed them. He then, gently grabbed her head on either side, kissed both cheeks and then her forehead.

“Nigel, please just tell me,” Vinh cried, water welling in her eyes. “Please.” Nigel replied by unhooking the distinct purple key fob from his keys, placed it in her hands and without another word or quiet and thoughtful gesture, he walked out the door.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nigel's seemingly out of the picture. Charlie has big news to share. And Vinh has an important decision to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine.
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!

A week had passed since Vinh last saw or heard from Nigel. Nearly two months since any word from Charlie. And as much as his self-imposed distance from her sickened Vinh, someone more important needed her. Most of her affairs were in order for her month long trip back home. When Vinh’s mother, Jia rattled on about her dad’s condition and how he was deteriorating by the day, Vinh bought her ticket that night.

After her deep conversation with Nigel about his past and mother’s passing before her mother’s call and Vinh’s regret for not being there for Charlie when Aunt Katie initially got sick and then passed, Vinh’s immediate move back home was a no-brainer. She had no way of contacting Nigel so the only other person Vinh felt obligated to say goodbye to was Charlie. When Vinh called him she expected his voicemail on the first few tries like usually but the phone didn’t even ring once before he answered.

“Vinh? Jesus Christ, Vinh! I’m so glad you’re okay. Where are you? Are you alright?” Charlie breathed into the receiver with honking noises blaring in the background. “I’m not far from your apartment.”

“Charlie, I’m fine. I’m home. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Then the call abruptly ended on his end. She tried calling again but Charlie didn’t answer. However, ten minutes later when her intercom alerted her someone wanted to come up, Vinh didn’t hesitant to buzz him in.

“Hey Charlie, long time no see.” He didn’t speak, only hugged; a tight and lengthy bear hug.

“Okay, Charlie. Okay! You’re squeezing the shit outta me.” He finally released Vinh and looked her over.

“I heard what happened,” he huffed in quick breaths. Vinh assumed he took the stairs either in a rush or ignorant to the newly functional elevator. “That some fuckers came after you looking for Nigel.”

_Wow, news does travel fast around here._

“Where’d you hear that from? That happened a while ago. I’m fine. Nothing happened.”

“Nothing happened?” Charlie croaked. “Those douchebags came looking for Gabi at the Opera House while we were gone and knew our regular hangout spots. Her co-workers told us what they looked like and the questions they were asking about Nigel and his business.” He halted his rant about the thugs that kidnapped Vinh when the look of a realization suddenly shot out across his face. “Gabi makes sense but why you? Has Nigel come pass here again? Is he still fucking with you?”

“No, Charlie,” she lied. “It was a misunderstanding. Darko actually saved me from them. He cleared my name from anything they thought they had on me. Nigel wasn’t there and I haven’t seen him.”

_No, Nigel doesn’t come around. He hasn’t in days. Darko really did save me from being hunted by those thugs. And Nigel wasn’t there when any of it happened. I’m not important enough to be involved, to matter. Nigel made that crystal clear._

“I would’ve told you sooner myself but I didn’t think you’d want to speak to me,” Vinh deflected. “You weren’t too happy with me the last time we spoke.”

“Dammit Vinh, that’s bullshit! Just because I’m upset with you doesn’t mean I don’t care about you,” he clarified. “I don’t want to hear through the grapevine my big cousin was hunted down like a dog because of that fucker Nigel. What if you’d died and I had no clue. You know what that would have done to me, to Gabi?”

Vinh bit her tongue from lashing out about that damn Gabi before it got her in deeper shit with Charlie. She debated whether to even tell him about her dad’s condition, her leaving for the States for the rest of the summer; maybe longer, maybe forever.

“Look, I just came to check up on you after what we heard. I’ll get out of your hair. And please, Vinh,” he paused before he reached the door. “I’m only a phone call away. If you need anything, let me know, seriously.”

“My dad’s dying, Charlie.”

His hand instantly dropped from the door knob. “What?”

“Ma called me a few days ago and told me,” her voice wobbled, “Cancer.”

“Pancreas, like mom’s?”

Vinh nodded. She willed her knees to hold her up as long as they could so she grab a hold of something solid to steady her. But she couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t hold it all in anymore as she collapsed onto the floor. Everything hit her all at once then.

Her dad was dying. Charlie was still angry with her and was taking trips with his girlfriend and God knows what else along with not speaking to her. The madman whom she had grown to care for abandoned her scared, alone and confused with feelings she couldn’t escape like the smell of cigarettes and musky cologne in her couch cushions.

Charlie marched over to Vinh and ushered off the floor and onto the couch. He hushed her quiet and rocked her in his arms. The irony didn’t pass Vinh. She took on the job of getting Charlie settled in Bucharest, the same country she ran off to start a new life as well; alone and terrified in a new city with an unfamiliar culture and language. But the rush of freedom and anonymity overrode any uncertainty and doubt within herself then—now not so much.

She had hoped Charlie would take to the new city like she did but he ran wild with his new life in the most unconventional and insensible way. Vinh couldn’t protect him anymore nor did he want her to. And now here she was curled up into a ball, buried into her little cousin’s chest, anxious about her unsettled present and fearful of her future; back home in Annapolis and when or if she would ever return to Bucharest.

“It’s alright, Vinh. It’s alright,” Charlie affirmed, gently rubbing circles on her back. “We’ll get through this. We can help you.” Vinh slowly rose up off Charlie’s comforting embrace, her trusty black tresses blocking his view of her skepticism surely clear across her face.

“We?” Vinh repeated.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “I lost my mom and so has Gabi. I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to help you cope. She’s helped me.”

“Sure,” Vinh offered a measly, tight lipped smile after pulling her hair back from her face. She didn’t want to deny his offer or challenge it. This was the closest she’s been with him all summer. She didn’t want to ruin it again. “If you think she can help me.”

“I have other news too, Vinh. Maybe this’ll cheer you up some.” Vinh calmed herself down and cleaned her tear streaked face.

“Gabi’s pregnant.” Vinh’s eyes widened at his surprise announcement while Charlie’s radiant smile stretched out across his face. “What do you think, Vinh?”

She was speechless, actually. Vinh couldn’t muster the appropriate words if she wanted to. Although, plenty of other distasteful and offensive words bounced around in her head she refrained herself from saying them. None were the positivity and reassurance Vinh was sure Charlie only wanted to hear. So she threw her arms around his neck instead.

“Thank God!” Charlie exhaled as joined his arms around Vinh. “I was ready for you to scream my head off. Gabi told me not to say anything but fuck it. This is my baby too, you know.”

Vinh just nodded in Charlie’s neck. This wasn’t merely for his sake but also for Vinh’s since she was afraid her face didn’t convey her fake elation like her hug did. Charlie could easily read the lie on her face but he couldn’t feel it in her arms.

“Congrats!” Vinh voiced steadily. “How does Victor feel about his first grandchild?”

“He doesn’t.” Charlie coughed out after she finally freed him from her chokehold. “We haven’t told him yet. I wasn’t even supposed to tell you.”

“Should I even ask if Nigel knows?” Charlie remained silent and avoided Vinh’s judgeful eyes but his hesitation answered her question for him. “He needs to know, Charlie. If he finds out through someone else he’s going to raise Hell. We all know that. He’ll soon have his arms around your throat and it won’t be from a hug.”

“I can handle him, Vinh,” Charlie reassured her albeit weakly. “ _We_ can handle him.”

“I hope so.” Vinh dropped the baby and Nigel subject when she noticed Charlie’s brow sweating as he nervously fiddled with his thumbs under her questioning. She currently had her own problems. “So are you coming back home with me?”

He shook his head. “Nah, we’re still trying to figure out how to tell Victor about the baby and then arrange maternity leave with the Opera House when Gabi’s going to need it a freaking year from now,” he complained. “Plus, I have to work extra hours, maybe find a side gig. And of course that prick, Nigel. I don’t want Gabi to talk to him alone but she’s the only one who can keep him in check. I just wish he’d go away once and for all. Find a new woman or something better to do than stalk his ex that doesn’t want him.”

Vinh’s heart tinged a bit at the thought of being that other woman in Nigel’s life he focused on instead of Gabi but deep down she knew that wasn’t possible. He made that clear when he walked out on her.

“You can stay here if you’d like while I’m gone. The rent is paid up for the rest of the summer and if I’m not here by the fall semester, I’ll wire the rest.”

Charlie waved off her offer. “Thanks but no thanks, cuz. You don’t have to take care of me anymore, Vinh. I’m going to be a dad soon,” he beamed at the new title. “I’ve got a handle on things. I can take care of myself; my family, my problem. You should do the same.”

Speechless at Charlie’s maturity and assertion, all Vinh could do was give her not-so little cousin another hug and kiss on the cheek. She still jammed a new spare key fob into his hand before he protested again. She warned him she changed the locks so Nigel couldn’t get in again if he and Gabi wanted to crash at her place.

“You know, to get from under the old man who lives in the next room.”

They shared a long, hearty laugh at Vinh’s wisecrack. She was pretty sure it freaked Charlie out too having Victor so close by but not enough to conceive a baby. It’s been a long time since they had one. Vinh could tell Charlie was rolling the idea around in his head and she wouldn’t be surprised if he and Gabi moved in within the week after she left. She doubted Gabi would need much convincing. Victor not so much but like Charlie proclaimed—his family, his problem.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this is the second to last chapter in Part One of a two-part series (if the chapter index didn't give it away). Part Two will (hopefully) be done by the end of the year since it's not taking me as long to write the draft like I did for the first one.
> 
> Again, thank you reading. If you can and/or would like, please share a comment, constructive criticism or simply give a like or "kudos". Every little bit matters.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vinh packs her bags, Nigel makes a last minute plea and they both come to terms with their not-so-great-maybe-my-habits-aren't so-healthy-or-productive as individuals. Why not work on them together, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I only own and created my OC. Everything else is not mine.
> 
> No, I don't condone any of the horrid or wildly disrespectful/irresponsible/deadly/violating things that occur or are said in this story. IT'S FICTION, PLEASE TREAT AS SUCH!
> 
> Read, Review & Enjoy!
> 
> **Check the end for more AN**

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Vinh groaned, pulling her comforter further over her head to drown out the noise. She ignored it until her flattened pillow couldn’t muffle out the banging anymore. Then, rolled over and checked her alarm clock.

“It’s three in the fucking morning, asshole!”

It wasn’t uncommon for drunks to come and mistake her door for someone else’s after a long night at the bar. And God forbid there was a sporting event that night, Vinh could just forget getting a good night’s sleep all together. They were like zombies who instead of eating a person’s brain they slurred every other word, randomly shouted out war cries and urinated anywhere and everywhere they pleased. Vinh’s building’s full of those zombie dicks.

“Vinnie baby...” She froze midway to the door when the husky voice hiccupped through the rest of his sentence, “my key won't work.” Ten days. It’s been ten days since the last time Vinh had heard or seen Nigel since the attack. It’s three a.m. and Nigel’s back. He’s back at her door and he can’t get in because Vinh changed the locks. She finally changed the locks. She’s leaving the country and he won’t be able to get in while she’s gone. But he’s here now and Vinh didn’t know what to do.

Nigel always forced his way in but Vinh had a choice now. A part of her wanted to let him in; pound her fists into his chest, berate him for being gone for so long and making her worry. On the other hand, she wanted to open the door just long enough to tell him to ‘go and fuck yourself’ and then slam it back in his face. To make him feel as abandoned and unworthy as she did. But did she have it in her? No, she didn’t.

Vinh yanked the door open before Nigel started banging on it again, and pulled him inside by his collar; his inside out wrinkled shirt that reeked of nicotine, beer, sweat and perfume. She shoved him onto the couch and pushed him to lie down so she could cover him with the blanket she left there when they watched television—when she watched television.

“No,” he hiccupped again. “I want a bed. Couch’s bad for my back.” Lugging him back up again, Vinh guided Nigel to the spare bedroom meant for Charlie and then Nigel, untouched since the day he walked out. He lied down without complaints this time, opting for a face plant into the pillow and started snoring soon after.

“Weird,” she thought. “I never noticed the snoring before. How many times did we unexpectedly fall asleep on the couch watching movies? Yet not once did I notice. Or was he hiding it? Was he ever really asleep?”

Vinh shook the foolish questions from her head. He was leaving soon and it no longer mattered. After sitting a glass of water and two aspirin on the dresser by the bed, Vinh returned to her room.

“I’ll kick him out in the morning,” she planned. “Wash the sheets, tidy the place up once he’s gone, bring all the plants back inside and pack in peace.” The amount of work she had ahead of her and then Nigel’s sudden intrusion weighed on her that night. How she finally drifted off to sleep was a mystery to Vinh. In her dreams, she curled her nose at the smell of cigarettes but then Vinh’s distaste relented once the nicotine transitioned to the scent of lingering sweat, sandalwood and various spices filling up through her nose and settling onto her taste buds.

Another unexpected but not an unwelcome surprise weighed heavily on top of her back and wrapped itself around Vinh, warming her body through the covers. She leaned back into its closeness. She didn’t want to wake up, just stay in its enveloping touch and forget about her worries. Forget about Charlie, Gabi and their baby.

About Nigel’s exploitation of her hospitality along with his draining, stubborn existence overall. Her father’s terminal illness but clung to the sound of his obnoxious voiceovers when he read the newspaper comics to her during breakfast on Saturday mornings or the comforting pressure of his thick fingers as he rubbed her back while rocked her on his lap before he put her to bed. Life would change for the worst and Vinh wasn’t ready for it. She wanted to stay in this dream forever.

The next morning, this annoying heavy breathing in Vinh’s ear woke her up instead of her alarm. With one eye cracked open, she noticed the sun creeping into her room through her blinds but her alarm wasn’t set to go off for another half-hour. And when Vinh went to stretch her aching arms after being cramped against something all night, she realized why and where the pressure came from. Normally, waking up earlier than her alarm irritated Vinh but today she thanked the high heavens the annoying beeping didn’t sound off and rattle him awake. Vinh managed to slither out from under Nigel’s dead weight and boisterous snoring without startling him.

“Huh?” After she rolled onto the floor with a subtle thud, Vinh wondered how long it would take before Nigel realized she wasn’t there to cuddle with anymore. “He must’ve had one hell of a night. He snores any harder and this poor dragon might actually breathe fire.”

Panic mode over with, Vinh took a moment to look down at the half naked Nigel. Truly drink him without the fear of him waking up unlike the last night she observed him sleeping. Sometime during the night, he sauntered out of his clothes down to his boxer shorts and into her bed without Vinh noticing.

_I’ll be mad later._

Vinh reflexively glanced down at the map of Nigel’s various scratches with death throughout his life again. She was familiar with this nonconsensual territory and didn't want to go there again. He didn’t like it so she wouldn't scrutinize his painful blemishes again. Or at least not be as vocal about them this time.

Before Vinh turned to leave, Nigel moaned as he gripped her pillow and buried his face in it, lying on his stomach where a good deal of fresh pink marks stretched across his back. Some scratches raking from the top of his shoulders while others dug into his lower back and up towards the middle—fingernail scratches.

“Stick with you plan, Vinh,” she reminded herself after some deep breathing to exert out her anger and bitterness at those unsuspecting women. “Tell him he can’t stay or come back here anymore. He doesn’t need to know the details. You don’t owe him shit. If he pushes, call the cops.”

Vinh tried prepared breakfast and coffee for herself. She needed something to do with her hands, to distract her when Nigel finally left and never came back, permanently this time. With the coffee maker on and the stove running hot, Vinh ran her packing list over again in her head to chase away the naive thoughts that Nigel might stay. That he would want to stay. That she’s mistaken about the scratches. He had got into another fight, he fell, whatever else but what she knew to be true.

Vinh finished her coffee but abandoned any real food other than buttered toast when she heard Nigel hit the walls as he stumbled into the bathroom surely about to vomit all over her floor tile. She didn’t want a front row seat to the sick show so Vinh ventured into the guest room to retrieve the unconsumed water and pills she left for him. Or so she thought. With the empty glass in hand, Vinh went to the bathroom to make sure he was okay but he was already finished. She figured he was out on the balcony for his morning smoke and went to meet him there. However, caught by another surprise, Vinh found him slouched over, sitting at the bar still shirtless but with his jeans back on.

He motioned at her glass, “Thank you for that.”

“Nigel, you have to go.” Vinh immediately demanded. She had to cut to the chase with him. A lot more work had to be done and Vinh couldn’t afford this distraction before she left Bucharest, possibly for good.

Nigel yawned, rubbing the morning crust from his eyes. “I hope you’re not expecting company because you’re a shit host.”

_Not this again._

Vinh rolled her eyes at his crassness. “I changed the locks for a reason, Nigel. I’m leaving to go back home for a while. My dad is sick and may die by the end of the summer. I need to be there.”

_So much for not owing him an explanation._

“And Charlie’s going to stay here while I’m gone. So you definitely just can’t swing pass whenever you want.” Vinh added that last part to make sure Nigel got the point. She preferred Charlie living here while she was gone but he sounded steadfast about not doing so so Vinh revisited the idea of renting out her apartment out to a graduate student and lock her bedroom for the time being.

“And for Gabi and the baby, my baby.” Nigel stated. Gabi finally told him. That’s probably why he got so shitfaced. Who knows how long ago she told him or when he eventually found out. How long this drug and alcohol binder lasted before he came to Vinh. But why did he come at all? Why not hassle Gabi or hunt down Charlie?

Nigel took a minute and rested his head on the cool countertop. “This isn’t doing it for me anymore, Vinh.”

“What isn’t, Nigel?”

“The bullshit, the half-ass promises, the running and chasing after what isn’t there with Gabi,” he listed, tapping his fingers on the counter as he recounted each one. “The drugs, the whores, the booze, it doesn’t do anything for me anymore.”

“What about the fighting, stabbing and guns, Nigel?” Vinh asked, not sitting with him. If she had to play along and listen in order for him to go then so be it.

“That part I like,” he smiled for the first time. “That part I understand.”

“Well I don’t, Nigel nor do I care at this point. What do you want? Why are you here?”

“Will you come back?” He asked instead.

Vinh threw up her arms at him. “I don’t know. I might. Honestly, I don’t think I have anything to come back to.”

“Not even old Charlie boy?”

“Nigel, I told you.” She drove the point home by slapping the bar stool as he did on the counter. “We’ve. Never. Done. Anything.”

“I know he doesn’t go to that fucking school, Vinh,” he snarled. “Not for one fucking second is that little shit university material. You two may not be fucking but you’re definitely more than roommates.”

“Like how you and Gabi are more than exes?” Nigel side eyed Vinh at that dig. She hadn’t seen that look since he found out Charlie moved in with her and Victor. “I knew you were still fucking her. I had my suspicions that first night back at the damn Opera House. How long’s it been since the last time you fucked her, Nigel? Y’all fuck every time Charlie was at work, while I was off on my walks? So help me God, if you brought her back here while I was out…”

The more Vinh thought about the different scenarios, the different sexual positions, the various excuses Gabi doled out to Charlie and he was gullible enough to believe her. At least Charlie got an excuse. Vinh got fuck all when it came to Nigel.

“Are you done?” Nigel asked.

“Am I—am I done? Are you fucking kidding me, Nigel?” Vinh was gobsmacked at his audacity. He didn’t argue with Vinh’s accusations nor deny having sex with Gabi—his ex-wife, her cousin’s girlfriend and possibly father of her child in Vinh’s house, right under her nose and she was too blind to notice. “You’ve been fucking that bitch in my house this whole time and God knows who else. Gabi probably left those scratches on your back after you fucked her and before she dropped that bomb on you about the baby.”

“Are. You. Done!” Nigel’s tone remained controlled and low but Vinh knew he would unleash his rage on her when he was ready. Luckily, he was too hungover to lift his head up. “I haven’t fucked Gabi in weeks, if you must fucking know. The last time was before that goddamn ambush at the barn, a few hours before I picked you up.”

Vinh frowned at his admission. That didn’t make sense to Vinh. She and Charlie weren’t gone that long, Victor was still at the house and Gabi had to have been at work by the time they were at the park.

“But how did you have time to have sex with Gabi and then catch up to me and Charlie at the park? We weren’t nearby. That park wasn’t just some hop, skip and a jump you could easily travel to.”

Nigel sighed at Vinh’s question. A question he didn’t want to answer but did anyway. “It was a quickie,” he offered. “I followed her to work; she never came to me. I teased about how we used to fuck before she practiced to help her relax.” He glanced over to Vinh before he went on. Vinh got what he was saying but she needed to hear it. “I saw that look in her eye after I suggested it and she didn’t deny me. That’s why I asked you about Charlie when I picked you up. Even after the sex, Gabi still wouldn’t come back to me; not fully.”

It was all coming together. Now it all made sense. Here everyone, including Vinh viewed Nigel as this abusive, controlling, raging ex-husband that wouldn’t let his ex-wife be only because Gabi deemed it so. She was the one calling the shots and the lovesick, lonely Nigel followed along with what she said. Vinh truly believed him to be controlling and his constant anger and readiness for violence was all too real but so was his desire for love, loyalty and trust. Just like everyone else. He just got the raw end of the deal when it came to Gabi but in his mind something was better than nothing.

“So how about?” Nigel asked, interrupting Vinh internal dilemma and the complexities she was entangled in called her life. “You really leaving Charlie behind or does he still one hand on your tit with sucking on Gabi’s?”

Vinh really wished Nigel would save his grotesque language for Darko and the heathens down at the club. “He’s my cousin,” she finally admitted. “Does that make you feel better? Does that really change how you felt about him two seconds ago? Will you be bosom buddies now?”

Nigel accepted her answer. He didn’t seem angry or betrayed with Vinh and Charlie’s secret. “That would explain your bullshit defensiveness for him and Gabi’s protection over you.” He even laughed a little at the new information as if he finally cracked the code or found the missing piece to a long unsolved puzzle; probably realizing his own foolishness yet again. That scared Vinh a bit but at least he wasn’t punching holes in her walls or throwing stuff again.

“When did you find out about the baby?”

“About a week ago,” Vinh shrugged. “Charlie only told me because he happened to be on his way here. He must’ve just found out about the attack when he and Gabi came back into town—whenever that was. I hadn’t heard from him before that.”

“So the missed calls and texts you were getting weren’t from him?”

Vinh frowned at his question. “What are you talking about? Have you been going through my phone again? I know about that tracker too, asshole.”

“No,” he said. “I noticed after I put you to bed after that shit date with that bitch, Luc. I thought it was him trying to call you again but it said ‘Mom’. Then, I assumed it was code between you and that little bastard, Charlie,” he revealed. “There was lots of missed calls and unanswered texts from her even from earlier that night and days before then.”

Vinh sighed at Nigel’s revelation. He noticed more than Vinh was willing to give him credit for. Unsure of what to say, she only nodded. He rubbed his fingertips along his temples and then scrubbed his palms against his five o’clock shadow.

“So that’s it then? You’re leaving and I may or may not see you again? Is that it?”

“What more do you want, Nigel? We don’t mean anything to each other—”

“You mean something to mean, Vinh.”

“Oh, yeah, like what?” she wondered. “A place for you to crash after you snort your nightly cocaine fix and get your fill of fucking no-name bitches. Am I your personal lodging hostess and chef. You hardly know anything about me, Nigel. I don’t even have your phone number for Christ’s sake.”

“No one I care about has my phone number, Vinh,” he argued. “Not even Gabi. It’s for your own safety.”

“Yeah,” she scoffed, “and we saw how well that worked out.”

“Look, dammit!” Nigel shouted finally pouncing up onto his feet but then yielded by a wave of nausea immediately sweeping across his face from the sudden and fast action. He remained defiant on his feet but grabbed a hold of the counter to keep him grounded in the spinning room. “You’re familiar, Vinh,” he huffed. “You’re home for me. I’ve never had that. Not without my mother. Not while on my own. Not since … since then,” he paused. “I thought I found it with Gabi but she didn’t want this,” he referred to himself. “She wanted to run wild and free not stay home and play housewife.”

“Oh and I do!”

“That’s not—would you shut the fuck up you fucking nag! I’m trying to tell you I fucking love you!”

Stunned into silence, Vinh remained frozen in front of Nigel as he attempted to string those three words together again. Licking his dehydrated lips and fussing over his long, floppy hair, Nigel fumbled through his confession.

“Shit, Vinh. I didn’t want to say it like this. I wanted it to be romantic and shit like that movie about that dying church girl you like so much.”

“‘A Walk to Remember?’” she recalled. “But I thought you were asleep then.”

“I was but then I got a cramp in my neck after a while and saw you crying.”

Vinh dipped her head and blushed. Had she known he would wake up so soon she wouldn’t have openly boo-hoo cried in front of him. She must have been a sight but he just confessed that he loved her. What harm would it do now?

“The movie, that time you got a call, took it in your room and then came back with your eyes all red.”

“When you left,” Vinh reminded him. He winced at the memory but agreed with her sentiment.

“... and when I left.” Nigel hung his head in shame but Vinh could tell he had more to get off his chest. “Everytime you cry it kills me. I’m tired of the women I love and care for being upset around me but fuck if I know what to do! That’s why I bought all this new shit for your apartment and gave you money for the things you needed so you could stop bitching.”

“But that doesn’t make me happy, Nigel,” Vinh disputed. “If you live here with me, you get added responsibility like paying rent and replacing the things you break out of anger or use on a daily basis. Helping me out makes me worry less but not happy.”

“Then what the fuck else is there?” Vinh walked closer to Nigel, gently grabbed his hands and cupped them into hers.

“Spending time together, getting to know each other better. You remember that time we were both out on the balcony that one night and I taught you how to play I Spy?”

“Yeah,” he snickered, releasing some of the tension from his tight jaw. “And you couldn’t find that pig I pointed out.”

“That wasn’t fair. I was looking for a real pig and you were talking about someone’s shirt on a crowded street.”

“Who the hell walks around with a real pig, Vinh?”

“I don’t know what you Romanians do during your little festivals. Anyway, “she refocused. “What I’m trying to say is that I had a blast and it was a great time for the both of us. Like when we worked on assembling the tv set together, when you told me about your mom.”

“When you made me,” Nigel added as a matter-of-factly.

“Or when you helped me to bed after my date with Luc went bad.”

“That fucking piece of shit,” Nigel growled. “That reminds me. I’m not done with that motherfucker.”

“Listen to me, Nigel.” Vinh brought his attention back on her before he ran off to hunt down her former friend. “Buying me things I don’t need so I don’t stray from you or to shut me up isn’t love, Nigel. It’s controlling and manipulative.”

He dropped his head far enough in front of him strands of hair hide the failure in his eyes for not assessing his feelings properly. He knew better but Vinh caught him by the chin and forced his eyes back on her. He needed to focus and a purpose. She would help him earn it.

“But there are feelings there,” Vinh continued. She grinned at Nigel’s ever-changing facial expressions. He wasn’t expecting that response from her and he gladly showed it. She recognized it as a sign of trust and hoped he would keep that same energy as she guided him over to the couch and sat with him. “I don’t know when it started but I enjoy coming home to you and you coming home to me. I worry when you return home later than usual or come back covered in someone else’s blood or some bitch’s cheap perfume or both.”

He cracked up at that last concern. “Some bitch, aye?”

“Nigel, stop. I’m being serious,” she laughed along with him. It was a silly concern but an honest one. “No, really, I never felt the need to share my life with someone here in Bucharest before you forced your way in but I can’t see my life any other way now. I thought maybe I could with Charlie when he was around but I fell into a false sense of security since he’s family and I couldn’t make him stay as much as I tried to.”

Damn. Vinh finally admitted out loud. She didn’t want to think she and Nigel were similar but Vinh needed to quell her controlling ways and so did Nigel. Maybe they could work on their issues together. If he wanted a ‘together’ that is.

Nigel took a moment to process her feelings and insecurities. He then rested his cheek on Vinh’s hand after she combed a stray silver strand behind his ear.

“I would like to get to know you more even while I’m away, Nigel. I want you to be safe and concentrate on what’s coming; the divorce and this new baby that may or may not be yours and if you really want any of this in your life. Gabi, Charlie, the baby or even me.”

“You, most definitely,” he muffled into her hand, adding a kiss into her palm. Before she uttered another word, Nigel snatched Vinh towards him, and buried her into his chest while he lied back onto the couch cushions and held her. The morning sun invited itself further into the living room, burning away the intimate shadows with an orange light.

Everything was still up in the air now. More talks and disagreements were to be had but they could wait. Nigel and Vinh may have found someone who they genuinely cared for and understood them. Or they would crash and burn worse than Nigel’s marriage or Vinh’s crumpling family dynamic. Neither knew nor cared then.

A new day meant a new start. In this moment, they silently agreed to hit the restart button on everything. This was their clean slate. A refresh start, together.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY, so this is it! The last chapter! Luckily, this is only the end of Part I. I want to thank everyone who has followed along with Vinh's introduction into the Countryman Universe, the transformation of her and Charlie's familial relationship and the evolution between Vinh and Nigel. 
> 
> Like in all my chapter notes, I don't agree nor condone their type of relationship with anyone but this is fake and fantasy, why not act them out? Even I'm anxious to see where this goes. 
> 
> Check back this upcoming winter for Part II.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is complete. Check back every Tuesday or simply subscribe for post email notifications.
> 
> Thank you!


End file.
